Another Bad Day
by ziva2012
Summary: Inspired by a song, this story takes Jack through lots of bad days, but with a happy ending, of course. AN: This is another old one of mine. Thanks to PaulineFitz for requesting it.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter one

It was another bad day at the SGC as far as General Jack O'Neill was concerned. Well, not just another bad day, but more like a really, really bad day. On a scale of one to ten, it was a twelve or maybe even a twenty-nine.

Oh, he had heard all the advice from the experts on having a positive attitude. He'd even heard it from the base shrink on a few occasions...just not since he had become THE MAN. Jack didn't have to listen to that bull shit anymore, because he was the man!

It wasn't that Jack didn't believe what they told him about the benefits of having a positive attitude. It was just that, to his way of thinking, he DID have a positive attitude! And he was absolutely fuckin POSITIVE that this day was going to be the worst ever! And he was correct!

It all began early that morning when Lt. Col. Samantha Carter showed up unannounced in his office doorway. Well, actually she always showed up unannounced, them having been friends and co-workers for the better part of seven years. But on this occasion, Jack wished he'd had some kind of warning that she was coming, because what she had come to tell him nearly caused that stroke he had been anticipating for so long.

"Sir, may I speak with you about a private matter?" she asked, her hand on the door knob. Sam really hated being here right now, but she had no choice. No matter how awkward this was for both of them, he was still her commanding officer and therefore the one person she had to tell.

"Sure, Colonel. Come on in." He could see the worried expression on her face, and he immediately knew he was in for some bad news. Anything that upset her, the woman he loved more than life itself, was bound to affect him in a very bad way.

Sam stepped further into the room, pushing the door closed behind her. Then she stood there, leaning against it for a couple of beats before stepping over and sitting in one of the two visitors' chairs in front of his desk. Jack slid his chair closer to the desk and waited for her to speak, his hands uncharacteristically folded and still on the blotter in front of him. His dark eyes were fastened on her down-turned face.

He noticed she seemed to be having trouble meeting his eyes, which was a dead give-away that what she had to tell him would not be something he wanted to hear. So without realizing it, Jack held his breath.

"Sir, you know I accepted Pete's engagement ring," she stated and Jack simply nodded. Now he was really beginning to dread where this was going.

"Well, we've set a date."

Jack was not too surprised by this. After all, that's what people generally did after they became engaged. But he sensed there was much more, and it was the much more part that was making him nervous. Surely she wasn't going to ask him to be in the wedding party! Again Jack just nodded his head up and down, like one of those Bobble Heads, and waited for the other shoe to drop.

"Sir, we've decided to get married right away. You see...I'm pregnant. Janet just confirmed it." Sam watched as a Jack's usually tan skin blanched an unhealthy shade of white. Ssm suspected this news would be hard for him to hear, and she was obviously correct.

Jack just sat there for several minutes, unable to think of something to say, let alone find the ability to say it. Sam was silent also, but then she apparently decided she needed to clarify a few things, because she began to ramble on about everything that was on her mind. Well, almost everything.

"You see Pete and I want to have a family. It's just that this child was unexpected. I've been having some problems, and I was off birth control for a while. And even though we were careful... Well, we never expected this to happen so soon, but we're okay with it. Really! It's just that I won't be able to travel through the gate for the next...well, probably almost a year, what with maternity leave and all. And I was just wondering if there was any way I could expect to get my spot on SG-1 back after the baby's born? I really don't want to give it up, so if there's any way you could..."

"Carter! Carter, say no more. SG-1 will be yours again when you return from maternity leave." Jack cleared his throat, trying to swallow the lump that had formed when she'd said the word 'pregnant.'

"When will that be, exactly," Jack asked, not really wanting to talk about it, but knowing that, as the man, he had to schedule certain things to keep the base running smoothly.

"In seven months, if I take off the month before the baby's born and two months after. I believe that's standard practice, Sir." She knew very well that it was military regulation. She just wished there were some way around it.

"It is. In fact it's mandatory," he assured her, wanting her to know she wouldn't be slacking off...just doing what was expected of her. He knew how conscientious Carter was about her work habits, and he was certain that being away from her lab and SG-1, for any length of time, was going to be very difficult for her.

"Well, then, I won't keep you any longer, Sir. I just needed to tell you. After all, you are the base commander," she said, as though she needed a reason to come to him with this personal information.

And in fact she HAD needed a reason to come to Jack with this news. They had never shared personal things with each other. Not in all the seven years of their flirting and dancing around their feelings for each other had they ever shared anything of a personal nature. And she certainly hadn't wanted to begin sharing her personal life with him, with news such as this! But he was her boss, and therefore she had to tell him, no matter how much she regretted having to do so.

"Yes, that would be me," Jack said with a wry smirk on his handsome face.

However, right now he wished he were not the base commander, but instead Wyle E. Coyote. If he was that unlucky bastard, a large safe would simply fall from the sky and land on top of him, smashing him into the ground and putting him out of his misery. Ya, that would be much better than having to live with all this regret and disappointment.

Sam got up and walked to the door. Before she opened it, she looked back at Jack who was now standing. "I'm sorry, Sir. I know you must be disappointed in me," she said quietly, and then she turned and left his office.

Startled by her final statement, Jack s mouth fell open. Then he slumped back down into his chair.

"Not disappointed in YOU, Carter. Disappointed in myself," Jack said aloud, but Sam was already through the outer office and didn't hear him.

Much to Jack's relief, he had not been asked to play a roll in the actual wedding ceremony, but he was expected to be there. This fact was bad enough, and had his stomach tied in knots for the better part of two weeks before the happy day.

Janet and Daniel had been asked to stand up with the cop guy and Sam. And Jake Carter, Sam's father, would be coming all the way from Saudi Arabia, where he was the U.S. Ambassador, to give the bride away. So all Jack had to do was watch as the woman he loved married someone else. Oh, ya, it was gonna be a piece of cake!

Jack awoke earlier than usual on the morning of Sam's wedding. In fact he had been awake most of the night, and now he had bags under his eyes the size of Kansas. He had just gotten out of the shower, when his doorbell rang. Jack wrapped himself in a towel and padded to the door, not entirely surprised to find Daniel standing there with an anxious expression on his boyish face.

"Oh, good, Jack, you're getting ready. You are getting ready to go to Sam's wedding, aren't you?"

"Of course I am, Daniel. Where else would I be going?" Jack knew that Daniel knew that he was not happy about the forthcoming nuptials, and Daniel was just foolish enough to tell Jack that he knew.

"Jack, I know you're not too happy about this, and believe me I sympathize with you. But we've got to be there for Sam," Daniel said, as though trying to talk Jack into the right frame of mind...as though any amount of convincing could change the way Jack felt.

"Daniel, I thought we weren't going to have this conversation."

He had told the young archaeologist earlier that week that he didn't want to hear another word about the cold shoulder Jack had been giving the prospective groom. They had all been at Janet's house the weekend before, when the happy couple had been presented with gifts for their new life together. Sam's dad and step-mother, and General Hammond and his wife had also been there.

Daniel had taken Jack aside and told him, in no uncertain terms, that he was to start being civil to Pete, no matter how much he disliked him. Jack had claimed ignorance, stating that he WAS being civil to him. He could tolerate the man. He just didn't think he was right for Sam. How could he feel anyone else was right for Sam, when he wanted her so desperately for himself? But of course he didn't say that.

"Jack, I thought you were a bigger man than this! Sam is getting married. She's starting a family, for gosh sakes. She needs our support! She doesn't need one of her friends treating her husband like he's...he's..."

"Like he's an idiot who almost got her killed? I'm sorry Daniel, but I call 'em like I see 'em. Pete Sheridan is an idiot!" Jack turned and walked rapidly to the bathroom, Daniel hot on his tail.

"Shanahan not Sheridan. God, Jack, you don't even know his name, and soon it's gonna be Sam's last name!"

"No, I'm sure she's keeping her last name, Daniel," Jack told him with certainty. He lathered his face and began to shave, while making faces in the mirror. Daniel watched him from the doorway.

"Jack, you have to let her go," Daniel said with finality.

"Why, Daniel? She's not really going anywhere, now is she? She's still going to be working at the SGC, and she'll still be my friend. Things won't be that different," Jack said, trying to convince himself.

He knew what Daniel meant, but he couldn't admit it to anyone but himself. Besides, maybe if he pretended hard enough, things would seem the same as they'd always been.

"Yeah, right. And she won't be sleeping in Pete's bed every night either," Daniel said, making his point and stabbing Jack through the heart with it.

"That was low, Daniel, specially for you," Jack told him, stripping off the towel and tossing it onto the floor before pushing past Daniel. Daniel averted his eyes from Jack's naked body and headed for the living room, calling out behind him, "I'll wait in here for you. You've got exactly fifteen minutes, and then we have to leave for the church!"

Jack didn't respond. With deliberate slowness he began putting on a dark gray, pin-striped suit that he hadn't worn since his mother's funeral twenty years earlier. It still fit him, of that he was certain. The style might be a little old-fashioned, but then everything comes back into style sooner or later, so Jack figured no one would notice. And besides, everyone would no doubt have their eyes on Samantha Carter, the loveliest woman to ever walk the face of the earth, and probably the smartest too, Jack thought with pride.

He slipped into his black dress shoes and tied them, before placing a white handkerchief in his breast pocket. 'Now all that's missing is my last meal and a blind fold,' Jack thought to himself, as he took in his reflection in the big dresser mirror.

"You look like you're going to a funeral, Jack, or like you're ready for your own," he told himself.

Actually he had been glad that Sam had specified she didn't want a military wedding, and that she wished everyone would dress in civilian clothing. It gave Jack a chance to see if his favorite suit still fit, and it also gave him an opportunity to see how it felt to be plain old Jack O'Neill for a change...one where those damned frat regs didn't apply. Taking one last look in the mirror, he decided he liked this feeling of freedom...maybe a little too much.

Jack came out of the bedroom exactly fifteen minutes later to find Daniel pacing in the foyer. He headed out the door without another word, a grateful Jack following him.  
>~*~ The little chapel at the Air Force Academy was small, but it seemed much larger when the wedding party consisted of only the bride and groom and ten other people including the minister. The participants and attendees were as follows: Janet Frasier, Daniel Jackson, Jacob Carter and his wife Elise, Teal'c, Cassandra Frasier and her date Gary Hudson, George Hammond, Jack O'Neill and Reverend William Houghton.<p>

Jack sat at the back of the chapel near the door, planning on making a quick exit, even though he had no car with which to make his escape. He knew that Daniel had planned it that way, but he also knew he could and would walk all the way home, rather than go with Daniel and Janet to her house for the wedding reception after the ceremony.

Jack sat like a man awaiting sentencing for a crime he didn't commit, as Jake and Sam began to walk down the aisle.

She looked wonderful, as she always did, in a white suit with a pink silk blouse underneath. On her head she wore a small white hat with an attached veil that covered just the upper portion of her face, and she carried a bouquet of pink roses and white gardenias. Standing as she walked slowly past, Jack thought she was the most beautiful bride he had ever seen.

Sam glanced quickly over at Jack, but by that time Jack had shifted his eyes to the front of the chapel.

Fortunately for Jack the ceremony was short and went off without a hitch, even though the pause, when Rev. Houghton had asked if anyone objected to the marriage, did seem extremely long. And as soon as the minister pronounced the two husband and wife and Pete leaned in to kiss his bride, Jack was out of his seat and heading out the door.

Jack was pretty sure he heard Daniel shouting to him to wait, but Jack didn't stop. And after walking through the campus that surrounded the small chapel, Jack finally came to the highway where cars whizzed by at dizzying speeds. It had been a long time since Jack had hitchhiked, but he hadn't forgotten how.

So, out went one of his double-jointed thumbs, and soon a young woman in a newer, red, Ford Mustang GT convertible stopped and removed her sun glasses before offering Jack a ride. He accepted with a nod of his head before climbing into the low car.

Jack seemed to slide his tall, lanky body into the passenger seat in one fluid move. Then he took off his dark glasses and looked into her eyes, before giving her a firm handshake and telling her his name was Jack. She held his hand firmly in hers and told him her name was Ashley. Then they both replaced their dark glasses, before starting off down the highway under the bright noon-day sun.

"It isn't every day I see a man dressed in a suit hitching a ride!"

Jack smiled at her, and she smiled back. He knew she wanted to know why he was out there dressed like that, but he wasn't ready to talk about it yet.

Jack couldn't help noticing how pretty she, and not just the-girl-next-door pretty either. This girl was something special! She was wearing tight blue Jeans, a bright orange tank top and orange sandals with rhinestones on them. Her long, blonde hair was pulled back and fastened with a multi-colored elastic.

Wisps of fine, blonde hair that had escaped blew around her face as they drove with the top down. He had noticed that her eyes were bright green. Jack decided no one's eyes were really that green, so she was most likely wearing green contact lenses. He didn't mind, although he did prefer women who were all natural.

"So, Jack, what are you doing out here without a car? I mean you don't look like the type of man who usually hitchhikes," she said with a nervous laugh.

Jack figured she sensed she might be prying. And though she was, he almost didn't mind.

"And you'd be right. Actually it's a long story, and I'd just as soon forget it, if you don't mind?"

"Sure. No problem. So where to?"

"Where were you going? I don't want to take you out of your way," he admitted, looking at her profile as she watched the traffic. She was young...way too young for him, of that Jack was certain, but there was something about her that intrigued Jack and made him like her right away.

"I'm going to work," she said, turning her head to smile at him.

She really had a great smile...pretty, white, even teeth and these little dimples that reminded him of Carter. 'Stop thinking about her, you fool! She just married someone else, for cryin out loud! Haven't you let her step on your heart enough all ready?'

"Where do you work, Ashley?"

"I'm a dancer...at a club," she told him, and at first what she was telling him didn't sink in, and then suddenly it did.

"Oh, really! Any place I might have been?"

"The Pink Flamingo over on Beechum. Know it?"

"Actually I do! Me and my buddies use to hang out there many moons ago. I didn't even realize it was still there," he told her with a laugh. He also had no idea they had girls like her were working there. She almost seemed like she was too good for that kind of place, or perhaps he was being unfairly critical of her occupation?

"So, how long have you worked there?" he asked her, honestly interested in finding out why any young woman would put herself on display like that. She looked so pure and innocent...or was that just an image she had created?

"I've been there for almost a year, but I worked at a club in Denver before that. I'm from Georgia. I'm a Georgia peach," she said with a giggle.

Jack had to agree with that; she was every bit as appealing as a fresh peach!

"And in case you're wondering... No, I don't intend to make dancing in strip clubs a career. I'm working my way through college. I go to school in the mornings and work four evenings a week...Thursday through Sunday."

"Ah, so a college girl!" Well, that relieved Jack's mind a great deal. For some reason he hated to think that this fine young woman held no higher aspirations than to be a dancer in a strip joint.

"What are you studying?"

"Why don't you try and guess, and then I'll guess what you do," she said with a giggle in her voice. Jack loved her laugh and her enthusiasm, so he decided to play along.

"Okay, let's see...you're a dancer, so you're obviously interested in physical fitness. So maybe a physical therapist?"

"No, you're not even close, Jack."

"Not even close, huh?"

"Nope!" she said, shaking her head and making her pony tail swing back and forth.

"It is one of the humanities?"

"Yes, Jack, but which one," she ask him, a huge smile on her face, as though she were having the time of her life.

"Sociology?"

"Yes! I've got three more semesters to go before I get my BA in Socio-anthropology," she told him excitedly.

I have no doubt you will," he told her, and he meant it. She really seemed determined.

"Okay, now it's my turn to guess your occupation. Are you in the Air Force?"

"Yes, how did you know?"

"Well, at first I ruled that out, because of your suit. But the haircut and those sunglasses gave you away, and of course where I picked you up...right next to the academy. All the military types who come into the club have shades like yours and the short hair."

"Okay, smarty pants. Now guess my rank," he challenged, and she wrinkled her nose in thought and pulled her bottom lip between her pearly-white teeth.

"Hmmm. Are you a major?"

"Nope, not a major," Jack said, making a face at her, to which she responded with another of those cute giggles.

"Are you a colonel?"

"Nope, not a colonel."

"Then you're a general, right?"

Jack smirked.

"I knew it! I guessed it all along. I just wanted to play longer," she told him. "I like you, Jack. You seem like a really nice man. May I ask you a sort of personal question?"

"Yah, I guess." He really hoped it wasn't about what base he worked at and what went on there. For some reason the thought of lying to this young woman didn't appeal to him.

"Why aren't you wearing your dress uniform today, Jack? I get the feeling you're not happy about something, and I think it might be something to do with where you just were," she speculated.

She was obviously beginning to relax with him or she wouldn't have asked such a personal question again. And Jack suddenly decided he didn't mind telling her exactly where he'd been and how he was feeling about it.

"Maybe you should become a psychiatrist," he told her. But although he wasn't mad at her for asking, he didn't smile. He hadn't even thought about Carter, or the fact that he had just attended her wedding, for several minutes, and now the girl had to go and ask him about it! Damn!

"I'm sorry, Jack. It's none of my business," she admitted. "I just thought...you look like maybe you need to talk to someone."

Jack thought she must think he was mad at her for bringing up something painful, and he didn't want her to think that.

"Ashley, it's okay. And you're right; I could use someone to talk to. I've just never been very good at opening up. I just attended the wedding of someone I care about a great deal...much more than I'm supposed to. She requested that we not wear our uniforms, so I wore this. It's my favorite good suit. Actually, it's my only good suit. I wore it to a funeral many years ago," he said, telling her more than he had intended.

She was intrigued by this older man and more than a little bit attracted to him, which was unusual for her. She usually liked guys closer to her own age, and Jack was obviously old enough to be her father. But there was something about him that she really liked and trusted, so even though she didn't usually give out her phone number to strangers, she handed him a slip of paper before he got out of her car. It had both her cell phone and her home phone numbers on it.

Jack took it and thanked her for the ride, before he got out at the corner. He folded the paper neatly in half and placed it in his coat pocket as he walked toward his house at the far end of the street.

When he got inside, he wasn't surprised to see that there were three messages on his answering machine. He pressed erase, knowing that they all would be from Daniel. If anyone needed to reach him about something important with regard to the SGC, they had his cell phone number.

Which reminded him that he had left his cell phone turned off during and after the ceremony, so it was high time he checked it for any urgent messages. As he suspected, there were none, but Daniel had called him on his cell phone three times as well!

After carefully hanging up his gray suit and slipping into some old sweats and a worn Colorado Avalanche T-shirt, Jack went into the living room and poured himself a triple shot of Jack Daniels. He downed most of it in one gulp and then he topped off his glass and was about to sit down on the sofa, when he remembered the piece of paper that Ashley had handed him.

He went and got it from his coat pocket and laid it next to his phone...not that he was ever going to phone her, but he somehow felt it would have been rude to just toss it out without even a second thought. She was a really nice girl, but she was way too young for him. Even so, he kept reminding himself that no matter how much older he was, she had apparently been interested in him enough to give him her phone numbers, and that fact made him feel pretty damned good!

He glanced over at the phone from time to time as he flipped through the tv channels, looking for something that would hold his interest. It was early evening now, and he was beginning to feel hungry. So he went and looked into the refrigerator, standing with the door open for several minutes, while he stared into the almost empty appliance. He finally slammed the door shut in disgust.

He really needed to go to the grocery store, but that thought didn't appeal to him. And suddenly he had an idea that did appeal to him. He would go out and get something to eat! Not fast food or take out, but a real sit down meal. He'd go to Luigi's and have Italian food...and not just a pizza.

Jack hurried into his bedroom and changed clothes, and in five minutes he was out the door. As it closed he thought he heard the telephone ringing, but he ignored it and climbed into his truck and drove off.  
>~*~ They were at Janet's house now, where the reception was being held, and they were about to cut the wedding cake. Sam pulled Daniel aside to ask him if he'd had any luck tracking down Jack. Daniel just shook his head, watching helplessly as Sam's face paled. Then she turned away from him and went back to sit beside her new husband, while Daniel just stood there with a worried expression on his face.<p>

"Daniel, what's wrong? Still can't find him?" Janet knew that he'd been calling all over in his search for Jack, and she knew how upsetting Jack's sudden disappearance was to Sam.

"No. And Sam is getting more and more upset by the minute. Maybe you should have a talk with her? In her condition..." He didn't know what he was going to say exactly, but Janet caught on to his line of thinking and nodded.

"She'll be fine, Daniel. And he'll show up at the base on schedule. You know Jack; he's a team player. He won't let this affect him that much," she assured him.

"Now come on, it's time for the cake. Get your camera ready," she reminded him, and they both went into the dining room to watch as Pete and Sam cut the cake.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

It was a good thing that it was Sunday and his second-in-command was in charge, because Jack really didn't feel like getting out of bed...even though it was almost ten. And if it hadn't been for the damned sunlight streaming in through his bedroom window and striking him across the face, he probably would have slept till noon.

'Well, that's what happens when you're up till two in the morning drinking, old man,' he reminded himself. After stuffing himself with lasagna and garlic bread at Luigi's, where he also had two glass of Chianti, he had come home and finished off his last bottle of Jack Daniels. It has been a Christmas present from George Hammond last year. And now the year and the bottle were long gone.

Jack threw his legs over the edge of the mattress and stood up, and suddenly his head felt like it was stuffed with c-4 that was about to explode! He lurched into the bathroom, holding onto the wall...the door...anything he could reach till he got to the toilet, where he leaned forward, placing one hand on the wall.

He reached into his boxers with the other hand and grabbed his morning woody, aiming it down toward the water before closing his eyes and trying to relax his uncooperative muscles. 'Damn, it certainly doesn't pay to get old,' he thought, as he did almost every day lately.

After relieving himself, he moved to the sink and splashed cold water in his face. When that didn't seem to help, he put his head under the faucet and let the water stream down over him. Then he shook his head like a dog that had just been bathed, and grabbed the bath towel from the nearby rack and scrubbed it over his head. And just then the loud, piercing ring of his home phone broke the silence.

With the towel in one hand, Jack stumbled out to the kitchen to the telephone/answering machine to see who was calling him on a Sunday morning. The caller id told him it was Daniel, and even though he really didn't want to talk to anyone, he picked up. 'May as well get this over with,' Jack told himself.

"Yes, Daniel, what do you want?"

"Where the hell did you go? Why did you leave like that," Daniel yelled into the phone, and Jack held the handset away from his ear to muffle Daniel's loud voice.

"I went home, Daniel."

"Why? I mean you didn't even say good-bye to Sam or congratulate her and Pete or anything!"

"She knows how I feel, Daniel. And I'm sure she didn't miss me, what with everyone else there and all."

"That's not true, Jack. She was concerned about you. In fact she asked me to find you."

"Well now you have found me, so bye!" Jack was about to put the phone down, when he heard Daniel bellowing some more.

"Jack! Jack, will you please stop feeling sorry for yourself!"

"No, Daniel. I believe I have a right. Now just leave me alone. It's my day off, for Christ's sake! I'll see you tomorrow," he said, and this time he did hang up.

Sam had worried all evening and almost the entire night, and now she was trying to get some sleep on the plane, as she and Pete headed to the Bahamas on their honeymoon. They were going to have four nights and five glorious days on Paradise Island at the Club Med. A romantic honeymoon suite awaited them, and Sam should have been excited and happy about the prospect, but she wasn't. All she could think about was Jack and how hurt he must be feeling right now.

That Jack loved her, she didn't doubt. That he would do almost anything for her, she also didn't doubt. That they had waited too long and their time has passed, of that she was even more certain. Their jobs had kept them together and yet apart, and now she was married to someone else, and she was pregnant with that man's baby. So, all she could do was make the best of it, and that was what she intended to do.

"Honey, why aren't you asleep," Pete asked her, his mouth against her right ear.

"Can't sleep," she told him, her eyes staring out the plane window at the white, marshmallow clouds.

"You really need to get some rest, Sam...for your sake and for the baby's," he told her in a worried voice.

"I know. I just have never slept well on planes," she lied, realizing that Pete would have no idea whether her statement was true or false.

"How about some warm milk? I could ask the attendant to get you some?"

"No, Pete. It's okay. I'm fine. Really! I'll probably sleep like a baby when we get to our hotel," she told him, and he sighed and looked away. She knew he was probably thinking that he'd want to go sightseeing or swimming or something, while she would be dead to the world.

'What can you expect when you spend so much time worrying about Jack,' she asked herself, her guilt making her reach for Pete's hand. Sam slipped her fingers through his, and he looked at her with love and adoration, a smile playing around his lips.

Sam knew how much Pete loved her, and she also knew that she could never love him that much in return. But as her father always said, "she had made her bed, and now she had to lie in it." She would make this marriage work or die trying!

Later that day Jack finally was able to pick himself up by the boot straps and actually make an effort to get on with his life...well, a small part of it anyway. And since he still had no food in the house, he decided to go to the big discount store on the other side of town. He kind of liked going there, because he never knew what neat things he would find like Simpsons DVD's on sale, or the little fishing lures he had bought there last month.

So Jack pulled on a pair of baggy cargo shorts, a light blue sport shirt, white cotton socks, his favorite pair of brown, suede, Doc Martin boots, and his dark glasses attached to a leather strap around his neck, and then he sauntered down the hallway, stopping in the kitchen to get his cell phone and keys from the kitchen counter.

There laying next to the phone was the piece of paper that young woman had given him. 'What was her name? Oh, ya, Ashley.' Jack picked up the paper and studied it. She obviously put her vivacious personality into her handwriting too, he thought as he studied the large, bold letters with all the swirls and curly-cues.

Jack walked to the waste basket and was about to toss the paper in, but then he stopped.

"Don't even think about it, old man," he warned himself out loud. "She's way too young for you!"

He knew he shouldn't do it, but the part of him that was yearning for companionship made him pick up the phone and dial her home number. When she didn't answer on the first ring, he came very close to hanging up. But then suddenly he heard her voice, and the lonely part of him won.

"Ashley? Hi! Uh this is Jack. You know, the guy you picked up...I mean gave a ride to...yesterday?" D oh! He sounded like a nervous twelve-year-old!

"Of course I remember. It s nice to hear from you! I really didn't think you'd call me," she said honestly, and Jack could hear the sincere happiness in her voice. So she really wanted to hear from him! Wow, that was kind of surprising. He figured a good-looking girl like her would have young men beating down her door in droves.

"Why wouldn't I call you? You're the best chauffeur I've ever had. Seriously, I want to thank you for rescuing me yesterday. It was really very sweet of you...and very trusting...to give a complete stranger a ride," he said honestly.

"Trusting? Hmmm. I guess it was. I'm not usually. I mean I don't usually pick up hitchhikers. But you looked sooo...so good in that suit, that I just had to get a closer look at you," she told him with a giggle.

"I see! So how about getting a closer look at me? Er...I mean how about seeing me again? We could go out to eat or something?" This time he sounded like a kid with a hard-on. 'Jesus, O'Neill, you sound like you've only got one thing on your mind!'

Well, if he was honest with himself, he probably DID have just one thing on his mind. He wanted to fuck her till he couldn't see straight, and until all thoughts of Samantha Carter were obliterated from his brain. Companionship was nice, but it was for old people, and Jack didn't feel that old yet. What he wanted was sex!

"Sure, I'd like that! When?"

"Well, I was just about to go out now and get something to eat," he lied. Well, he did need to get food, and not all of it had to be groceries. So it wasn t really a lie, he reasoned.

"I'd like that, Jack. Really I would, but I have to go to work in less than an hour. But you could come by the club, and we could get something to eat after I finish. I'm always starving by the time I get through dancing," she told him.

Jack thought she probably did work up quite an appetite, if her dancing was anything like what he remembered seeing at that club and others.

"Okay. What time do you get off? I mean when should I come?" Shit! He cringed. It seemed like everything he said had a double meaning.

"I'm finished by 10:30 on Sunday's. The bars close at eleven you know, plus I have class in the morning. But I can stay out long enough for us to satisfy our hunger. Unless you'd rather DO IT some other night?" she asked with a giggle.

Hell, yes! He'd like to 'do it' right the hell now! But instead of saying what he was thinking, he told her he'd see her at the club around 10. He figured he might as well see her perform while he was there.

They hung up and Jack went grocery shopping, feeling a lot less depressed than he had earlier.

At nine forty-five Jack walked in through the front door of the Pink Flamingo wearing black Levis, a black short-sleeved, silk T-shirt with a v-neck, and his black leather jacket. It was really dark in the club, but his eyes soon adjusted, as he weaved his way between the tables, looking for an empty one.

'You'd never know it was a Sunday night,' he thought, as he finally found an empty seat next to the little stage. As his eyes adjusted more and more to the dim light, he looked around and realized that at age 55, he was probably the oldest guy in the place. And while that fact made him a little uncomfortable at first, he soon forgot about it.

A brunette was the center of attention at the moment, dancing to a rendition of an old sixties rock song called These Boots. Jack recognized the vocalist doing it. She was sort of new and he couldn't remember her name. Shania something or other. A waitress, wearing nothing but a G-string and a brassiere, came over and took his order. Jack asked for a boiler maker, and then he tried to get comfortable on the hard chair.

As this dancer left the stage, another one came out, and Jack immediately knew it was Ashley, even though the announcer called her Miss Renee. She was dressed as a French maid, in a short, black, full-skirted dress with stiff, white crinolines underneath. On her head she wore a little white cap, and in her hand she carried a feather duster. A chair sat in the middle of the stage now, placed there by another employee, as the lights dimmed and a spot light was directed at Ashley.

Jack recognized the song that was playing, even though it was popular before he was born. He couldn't understand the words, since they were being sung in French, but he liked the tune. Ashley strutted around the stage and pretended to 'dust' the chair, the brass pole and the men who were sitting the closest to the stage. They smiled and spoke to her, and stuffed bills in her panties, as she sashayed in front of them.

She finally arrived in front of Jack, and that was when she stepped back a bit and began to undress. Jack was very aware that she was undressing more for him, than for the other men there, and that knowledge made him feel really good. He felt wanted, and he hadn't felt that way in a long, long time.

He sat watching her as he lifted his mug of beer to his lips every so often, his eyes never leaving her body. She had a beautiful young woman's body, with small, yet nicely-shaped breasts. Her hips were narrow, and her butt was just full enough to make him want to reach up and squeeze it. And her skin...well, it was like peaches and cream, and it reminded him of Sam.

'Damn, Jack, do not think about her now of all times,' he warned himself. 'This young woman has the hots for you, man. Don't fuck it up by bringing Sam into this!'

Ashley, who had been seated on the chair, fell to the floor and rolled around, opening her legs wide in a very provocative position, right in front of Jack. When she came to the edge of the stage, several of the other men got up and shoved more money into her G-string. But Jack simply sat there watching, feeling that it would somehow be wrong, almost insulting, for him to pay her for something she obviously wanted to give him.

He didn't want to cheapen their relationship by acting like one of the customers, but he did wonder if she had expected him to give her money. After all, she was trying to earn enough money to pay for her education. It was something he should ask her later, when they were alone. Maybe he could even offer to help her out. He certainly had more money than he needed, and he had no one to spend it on but himself.

As he continued to watch her contort and writhe on the stage, Jack's mind began to imagine her in some of the same positions as he fucked her. He had begun to feel himself stiffen inside his pants the minute she stepped out onto the stage, and now he was rock-hard. He had always been quick to get aroused, and tonight was no exception.

As soon as her number was complete, she leaned down and shouted to him to meet her by the back door. Jack watched her gathering up the money that had been tossed on stage. Then she bowed and waved to the crowded room. But before running behind the curtain, she blew Jack one single kiss.

Several of the young men sitting near him watched with obvious envy as Jack got up and stiffly made his way to the back door. He was stopped by a bouncer on the way into the hallway next to the stage. And when he told the guy he was meeting Ashley or Miss Renee, the young man said, "Sure, pops! Her family's always welcome back stage."

Hearing the man s comment, Jack almost turned around and left. Almost. What the hell! If she wants me, then why the hell not! he encouraged himself. And then there she was.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Jack found himself in a busy dressing room with several girls running around half naked, but obviously very comfortable in his presence. He saw Ashley sitting at the far end of the room, dressed in only panties and a bra, her face covered in cold cream.

Feeling a little like a voyeur, he decided to wait outside the back door, so he waved at her and indicated he was going out the nearby exit. She waved back and hurried to get cleaned up for their date.

She was beside him in five minutes, and Jack was impressed that she hadn't kept him waiting very long. Her face was clean of all makeup now, and her hair was tied back in a scarf the same color as her bright yellow blouse. She wore worn, faded blue Jeans and the same orange sandals he had noticed the day before. And the only jewelry she had on was a pair of amber earrings, with single, tear-drop-shaped stones that dangled from gold chains.

If she wasn't a sight for Jack's tired old eyes, he didn't know what was!

"You look very nice," he told her, and he meant it. He really appreciate natural beauty, and she was nothing if not natural, including those green eyes...which he could see clearly in the light by the back door. She wasn't wearing contact lenses.

"You look foxy," she said, taking his arm in hers and giving it a little squeeze.

"Foxy? Is that good?"

"Hmmm, yes! I just love your hair, Jack. It reminds me of a silver fox, so you're foxy! Get it?"

"I guess so, but I can't see what you like about my gray hair. I think it makes me look old."

"No, not old. Distinguished and sexy!"

He opened his truck door and offered her his hand to help her climb up onto the seat.

"Thanks! And you're a gentleman," she said, smiling down at him.

"I am that! And I always make sure my passengers wear their seat belts," he told her, leaning close to her as he buckled hers. He stopped when his head was right in front of her face, and she leaned forward just enough to touch her plump lips to his thinner ones in an affectionate, yet chaste kiss.

"Thank you," she said in almost a whisper.

"You're welcome," he said in the same soft voice, while not moving his face an inch. He just stared into those green eyes, and she into his chocolate brown ones, and they both held their breath. They heard talking, as several of the other dancers came out of the club, and the spell was broken.

"Well," he said as he backed away, "I think I promised to feed you."

He closed the door and went around and got in behind the wheel and began to drive.

"So what kind of food do you feel like having?"

"Actually, Jack," I always have a little something earlier in the evening, so I'm okay. What I'd really like to do is get to know you better," she said, her left hand raking through the hair above his right ear. "Would that be okay with you?"

"You're kidding, right?" Jack felt his hard-on making a rapid reappearance, and he wanted nothing more than to fuck her right then...right there!

"No, I never kid about something so serious, Jack. I really like you, so I'm gonna do something I've never done before," she admitted.

"What's that, Ashley?"

"I'm gonna invite you back to my place," she told him, wrapping her hand around the back of his neck to pull him toward her. Then she kissed him, and Jack began to return the kiss, grazing his tongue over her full lips before she opened her mouth and let it in.  
>He quickly pulled back, afraid that even though she seemed to want things to proceed this way, they were moving way too fast...for both of them.<p>

"Ashley, I think we should slow down a bit. I really like you too, and I don't want you to grow to hate me. And I'm afraid that if I come to your place tonight, I'm gonna use your body to help me forget, and that wouldn't be fair to you.

"And if I'm still willing to take the chance?"

"I still think it would turn this otherwise nice evening into another bad day, and I've had enough of those lately to last me a life time."

"Okay, then we'll go eat. But don't ever say I wasn't willing," she said with a sweet smile, and Jack kissed the tip of her nose and smiled at her till his dimples showed, which was something he hardly ever did anymore.

So Jack and Ashley had a nice dinner at a Chinese restaurant where they talked for two hours, until the owners were ready to close and almost had to drive them out of the place. Afterwards Jack took her back to the club parking lot to get her car.

She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, and told him to let her get out by herself. So he did, watching until she was safely inside her car. Then he waved to her and grinned as she drove off, realizing he had enjoyed himself and felt more relaxed than he'd felt in a long, long, time.

Sam's honeymoon seemed to drag on forever, at least as far as she was concerned. Pete had suggested everything he could think of, in an effort to help her relax and enjoy herself. But his suggestions had all been rejected for one reason or another. And by the third afternoon, he was at the end of his rope. He stood in the doorway of their suite and looked down at her, a glum look on his face.

"Sam, are you deliberately trying to sabotage our marriage?"

"No! What on earth do you mean?"

She was sitting on a chaise lounge on the balcony of their hotel room, ostensibly reading a novel...an act which Pete didn't believe for one second. In fact, if he was not mistaken she had been reading the same page now for two hours!

"I mean that you haven't been willing to do any of the things I've suggested, and when you finally consented to make love last night, I felt like I was doing it to...to...to that chair there," he yelled, pointing at the chair next to her.

"Well, thanks! And I think you're good in bed too," she shouted back. Then she let out an exasperated sigh before she spoke again.

"Pete, I'm sorry. It's just that I don't feel very well. You know that some women have difficult pregnancies. Well, it looks like I'm one of them," she lied. In truth she couldn't have felt better physically. It was her heart that was sick and in need of healing, and Sam didn't think there was any cure for it.

Pete got down on one knee next to her chair and took her face in between his two hands.

"I'm sorry, snookums! Is there anything I can get for you? Coffee? Tea? A more understanding husband?"

"No, of course not," she chuckled. "I've already got one of those, and I don't need anything else," Sam assured him. "Now why don't you go rent that sail boat you were talking about yesterday. I think maybe a little ocean air might make me feel better."

She'd throw him a bone once in a while. She had to, or her charade would be over faster than you could say stargate! And then where would she be?

"Really? Great! I'll be back in half an hour! Maybe we can take her out right away!"

Pete ran out like a child on his way to the local mall to play video games, while Sam leaned back in her chair and shut her eyes. Visions of Jack at her wedding burned themselves into the backs of her eyelids, and tears welled up and seeped from beneath them. She had never been more miserable in her entire life.

Very late that Friday afternoon Jack was sitting in his office going over some reports, when he heard a soft knocking at the closed door. And since most everyone, including Sgt. Harriman, had already gone home for the weekend and Jack wasn't expecting anyone...let alone the person who was presently outside his door...it was with great surprise that Samantha Carter Shanahan opened the door a few inches and stuck her head inside.

Jack immediately jumped up out of his chair and came around the desk to greet her.

"Sam! Colonel! What are you doing here?" She was dressed in blue BDU's, the color he had always favored on her. It went so well with her eyes.

She smiled slightly, but Jack sensed her heart wasn't it .

"It' nice to see you too, General," she teased, and Jack put a hand gently around her upper arm.

"Sam, I didn't mean..." He dropped his hand quickly as he realized how inappropriate he was acting.

"It's okay. I know you didn't," she said. "May I come in?"

"Oh! Of course," he almost shouted as he stepped back out of her way.

She came in and sat down in one of the guest chairs, as she had the last time she'd been in his office...the time she'd told him she was pregnant and was getting married.

Jack perched on the corner of his desk, one foot on the floor near hers. He cleared his throat and tried to correct his greeting, which had sounded far from welcoming.

"I'm just surprised to see you here. You don't have to be back at work until Monday, you know."

"I know. I was just eager to see how the tests are going...the ones I'm having my assistants run. You know me," she said and they both laughed as though she d told a joke.

He did know how she was about keeping long hours at work, and he wasn't certain that was such a good idea now that she was pregnant.

"Yes, I do know you. But don't you think it would be a good idea to ease up a bit? I mean now that you're expecting?"

Immediately Jack wished he hadn't said what he had, because he could see Sam's face grow angry.

"Why is it that everyone's suddenly treating me like I'm some kind of invalid? If this is what being pregnant is like, then I wish..." She didn't finish. Instead she shot up out of the chair, almost bumping into his knee in her rush to get past him.

"I'm sorry I bothered you, General," she said. And before he knew what was happening, Sam had left his office, slamming the door behind her.

Jack rushed to the door and called after her, not caring who heard him. He set off at a jog and soon caught up with her in the hall. He grabbed her arm and spun her around, before taking hold of her upper arms.

"Sam, what's going on with you? Are you okay?" Jack was really concerned about her. He had never seen her so confused and angry before, and it scared him.

"I'm fine, General," she hissed at him, her eyes flashing. "Now if you'll let me go, I'll..."

Before she could utter another word, and before he could think to stop himself, he pulled her to him and planted a kiss on her lips that didn't end until they both heard foot steps coming toward them.

"Damn!" Jack swore under his breath as he let go of Sam's arms and stepped away from her.

An airman came walking by and saluted both Jack and Sam. Then he went on his way, disappearing around the corner.

"I'm sorry, Sam. I was out of line," Jack acknowledged. "You can report me. Do whatever you want. I take full responsibility."

"No, Jack, you can't, because I let you kiss me. There won't be any reports from either of us, and I think you know that. But it can't happen again.

"No, you're right. It can't happen again." Jack just stood there and watched as Sam walked away from him. His heart, which had already been broken in two, had just been stomped on and crushed.

And just when he was feeling really low and about to head home and drown his sorrows in a new bottle of Jack Daniels, his cell phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and recognized Ashley's cell phone number.

"Hello, Miss Renee," Jack said in his most seductive voice. He heard her immediately begin to giggle, and it brought a smile to his face. 'God, this is what I need,' he thought desperately.

"Hi, Jack! What are you doing," she asked in her usual cheerful voice.

"Talking to you!"

"Smart ass! Okay, I guess I set myself up for that one, didn't I? What I should have said was 'what are you doing tonight? I don't have to work, because the club owner lost his liquor license, so I was wondering if you'd like to do something?'"

"I don't have any plans, and I'd love to do something with you," Jack told her. So they made plans to go out, and Jack quickly cleaned up his desk and headed home to shower and change.

At seventy thirty he was standing in front of the door of her townhouse. It was in a nice, quiet neighborhood not too far from the Air Force Academy, reminding Jack of how they had first met. He quickly shoved all thoughts of Sam's wedding out of his head as Ashley opened the door. Jack's mouth fell open when he saw how pretty she looked.

"Wow! Sweet!"

"Sweet? Not too sweet, I hope," she said, laughing.

She was wearing a pair of low-rider, black Jeans with a red, boat-necked sweater that dipped off one shoulder. There was a rhinestone, flower-shaped pin on the other shoulder. The upper half of her hair was pulled back in a little jeweled clip that left the rest cascading down her back. And on her feet she wore what appeared to be a brand new pair of black, leather cowboy boots.

And it didn't escape Jack's attention that there was at least five inches of creamy flesh showing between the bottom of the sweater and the top of those tight Jeans. If looking good enough to eat were actually possible, Jack was sure she fit the description perfectly!

"No, not sweet at all really. Better word would be 'hot', really 'hot'!"

"You look kind of hot yourself, Jack," she told him as she looked him up and down, admiring how great he looked. He was very fit and trim for a man his age.

He had also decided to wear Jeans tonight, but his were dark blue, and had wide legs, and with them he wore a tan and blue, Western shirt that snapped down the front. They had been on the same page when they'd decided to go Western. However, he didn't own any cowboy boots, so he had on his comfy Doc Martins.

"So where are we going, Jack?"

She had told him to surprise her, and he intended to do just that. "Nope, not tellin! Come on, I'm getting hungry," he told her as he grabbed her hand and pulled her out the door. They laughed all the way to his truck, and when he buckled her seat belt this time, she quickly pulled him toward her and kissed him soundly.

"Whooeee, girl! You better watch yourself, or there'll be no dinner for you. I'll just take you back in there and have my wicked way with you," he warned her in a fake, menacing tone.

"You wouldn't dare, cowboy! Cause if you did, my pappy and my three brothers would come after y'all and give you a good woopin!"

They both giggled at her phony accent. And then Jack got in the driver's seat, and they headed to his surprise, which turned out to be a restaurant called Crazy Charlie's. It was on the side of a mountain, outside of town, and the view of the city lights was awesome. The well-known restaurant catered mostly to tourists, and it specialized in Western cuisine, including rattlesnake and buffalo, Rocky Mountain Oysters, which weren t really oysters at all, and some of the best beef steaks west of the Mississippi River.

And the only way to enter the dining room was via a three-story slide that wound around and down until the guest was dropped off on the lower level. In a playful mood, Jack sat down on the slide and pulled Ashley into his lap. They both hooted and hollered all the way down.

After dinner, which consisted of salad, steak, fries, and several bottles of the house's jalapeno beer, Jack took Ashley to play miniature golf and to ride the bumper cars at a nearby amusement park. They laughed and giggled throughout the evening, and Jack couldn't remember ever having a better time with anyone...at least not since Charlie.

Before he knew it, it was almost midnight, and Jack wondered if she needed to get home and get some sleep. After all she was a working girl. When he offered to take her home, she didn't protest. But when he walked her to her door, she apparently had something other than sleeping on her mind, because she invited him inside.

"Look, if you're tired, I could just..."

"No, don't go yet. I really want you to stay for a while, she whined, pouting. Please?"

She backed into her house and tugged on Jack's collar, pulling him inside with her. He didn't protest, but went willingly, closing the door behind him.

"I'm just gonna slip into something more comfortable. Why don't you get yourself a glass of something to drink. There's beer and wine in the fridge, if you want."

"How about you," he called out after her.

"No, I think I've had enough alcohol for one night, but you go ahead," she told him.

Jack decided that he'd also had enough to drink, so he just strolled around her living room looking at photos of people he guessed were her family. He eventually sat down on the plush, beige sectional. Her place was very nicely decorated, and he wonder just how much money she was able to earn by dancing at the club. He figured the tips must have been pretty good for her to afford to rent this nice place and pay for college too.

Then he remembered something she had said about her boss losing his liquor license, and he wondered how long the club would be closed, and if that would cause her any financial hardship. He was looking at a photo album that was on the coffee table, when she came out of her bedroom. She was dressed in a pink tank top and matching shorts made of a soft-looking, stretchy fabric, and she was barefooted.

"I hope you don't mind. They're my PJ's. I like to be comfortable when I'm at home."

"No, of course not! They're very nice, he replied, staring.

They were nice alright. They showed every inch of her body, as though she was wearing absolutely nothing, which, unless he was mistaken, was exactly what she had on under them. And suddenly there was his hard-on...in full bloom!

Jack tried to cross his legs to hide his erection, but that turned out to be a really bad mistake, as the grimace on his face declared.

"What's wrong, Jack," she asked him, getting on her knees next to him. "Are you getting aroused?" she asked, a playful lilt in her voice.

"You can say that again, honey," he told her. She threw one leg over his thighs and perched right on top of his burgeoning erection. And now her nipples, which he couldn't help noticing were swollen and taut, were poking out toward him, and Jack thought he'd blow right then and there.

"Kiss me, Jack. Hold me. Tight. I won't break, you know," she told him, as she moved her hands from his shoulders around to the back of his head. Raking her fingers through his short hair, she pulled his head toward hers, and their lips met...at first softly, and then harder as their passion flared.

"Honey, ya gotta get off me. Hurts," he said between their lips.

She lifted up, but remained on her knees while her hands went down to the zipper on his Jeans. "Get out of these, Jack. I wanna see you," she told him, and then she climbed off him, so he could stand up. He quickly shed his clothes while Ashley became the audience for a change. And from her smile, Jack could tell she was enjoying the show.

When Jack was undressed he pulled her into his arms and kissed her, while his hands swept under her top, over the smooth skin of her back. He grabbed the bottom of the tank top suddenly, and yanked it off over her head. Then he bent down and sucked as much of her breast into this mouth as he could, while squeezing and pulling the other nipple between his thumb and finger. Ashley s voice saying, Yes, yes, spurred him on.

He'd had fantasies about doing this to Carter so many times that he could almost pretend that Ashley was her. But he knew deep down in his heart that it was not fair to Ashley to do that, so he deliberately pushed all thoughts of Sam, and what could never be, out of his mind and concentrated on the here and now.

Ashley moaned and pulled his head closer to her, letting him feast on her breast, while his hands pulled down her shorts. They fell to her feet and she stepped out of them, and now they were both totally naked. Jack looked down at her angelic face and then scooped her up in his arms, before carrying her into the bedroom.

"How old are you anyway," he asked her as he gazed down at her.

"I'm twenty-six, Jack. Now what are you waiting for?"

"For my old heart to start up again, honey," he joked before sinking into her young, supple body.

He spent the whole night making love to her, and didn't leave until late the next morning. And although he'd had a very nice time, not more than five minutes went by when he wasn't comparing Ashley to Sam in some way. And he knew that if he didn't stop seeing the young woman, he would end up hurting her. And that was something he really didn't want to do.

It was only after he got home that he remembered he hadn't even asked her about her job. So then he thought about phoning her, but he figured that would only make this harder for both of them. He'd just not call, and gradually she'd forget about him. So that s what he did.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

For three weeks things went along very smoothly on base. Jack worked in his office, coming out only to collect a lunch tray from the commissary at eleven each day or to see a team off from his vantage point in the control room.

And at least he didn't have to watch Sam leave through the gate anymore, as she had been removed from SG-1 due to her pregnancy. He wondered how she was handling not being able to go through the gate, but he knew it was something with which she alone had to deal.

Another scientist, Dr. Paul Braun, who was also a Major in the Air Force, had been hand-picked by Carter to fill in for her until after her maternity leave. He had been a classmate of hers at the Academy, and had come in second in class to her first.

Jack had to admit he kind of liked the guy, who was not nearly as nerdy as his biography made him out to be. And he got along very well with Daniel and Teal'c too, making him the obvious choice. Leave it to Sam to find a more than suitable replacement, Jack thought, finding yet another reason to admire her.

He was just about to go and get his lunch, when a very nervous looking Sam Carter- Shanahan (she had decided to use both names, much to his disappointment) arrived at his office door.

"Sir?"

"Sam! Er...Colonel? What can I do for you?"

He sprang up out of his chair and stepped toward her. It was the first time he'd even seen her in weeks, and he thought she looked wonderful...all healthy and glowing. She wore her BDU shirt buttoned down the front, so he really couldn't tell if she was showing yet or not.

"I've got a few requisitions that need your immediate signature," she told him, holding some papers out toward him.

He took them and carried them to his desk, leaning down to pick up his eyeglasses. He put them on and remained bent over his desk to read the two forms she had handed him. Then he grabbed the ink pen that lay on the blotter and signed both forms, before taking off his glasses and turning around. He handed her back the forms.

Jack didn't know it, but Sam had stood there staring at his butt the whole time, thinking about how it might feel if she were to...

"Colonel, the papers?"

Startled, she grabbed the forms out of his hand and started to leave, but Jack really didn't want her to go. He hadn't seen her in what seemed like an eternity. And even if that was mostly his own fault, he had missed her a great deal.

"Is that all, Sam? Don't I even get a little friendly chit chat?"

Now he knew he was asking for trouble, but when did he think with his brain instead of his heart when he was around her?

"Sorry, Sir, but we've been very busy down in the lab," she said, looking around uncomfortably.

"I see. Okay, go on then. I don't mean to keep you from your work."

"Sir, it's just that..." Sam reached for the door handle and pushed the door almost closed behind her. "If I may speak freely," she asked, and Jack's heart began to race.

"Of course, Carter. What is it?"

"It's you, Sir. After the way you left the wedding so suddenly...and you didn't show up at Janet's...well, I knew you were hurt. But I was hurt too! Don't you know how much I wanted you there?" Her eyes filled with tears, and Jack was afraid she was actually going to cry...and it was his fault.

He quickly snagged a tissue from the box on the shelf and handed in to her.

"Sam, I never meant to hurt you. But you must know how hard it was for me to see you with . I know I never told you, but..."

Suddenly the door was being opened by an excited looking Walter Harriman.

"Ooops! Sorry, Colonel...General! But the foreign dignitaries are here for their tour, Sir," he said as he stuck his head into the room.

"Okay, Walter. I'll be right there," Jack told him.

Sensing that all was not right with the Colonel and the General, Walter made a hasty exit.

"You were about to say something?" Sam really wanted Jack to finish what he'd started to say. What had he never told her? That he loved her?

"Nothing. Just...nothing."

"Okay. Well...I guess we've both got work to do," she said with disappointment in her voice.

She turned and left, and Jack just stood there, almost glad that Walter had interrupted them. If he hadn't, well...Jack was afraid he might have said things he had no right to say to her. Quite possibly he had already said too much.

And so, Jack and Sam's lives drifted apart. Jack heard about her now and then from Daniel, but he didn't see Sam again for almost two months, and then it was at a formal dinner for the Vice President and the Joint Chiefs who were at the base for the presentation of an award that was being bestowed on General Hammond, who was retiring from the military after a fifty-year-long career.

All the stops had been pulled out, and the base was cleaned and spit-polished for the occasion. Walter had even managed to find some red, white and blue ribbon with which to decorate the briefing room, which was to be the location of the dinner.

Besides the guest dignitaries, Jack's second-in-command, Col. James Rogers was there. And Daniel Jackson and Sam would be there to represent the scientists and civilians on staff.

The guests were mingling around the punch bowl when Jack saw Daniel and Sam enter the room. To say Jack was stunned by her appearance would have been an under-statement; Jack thought he had never seen her looking more lovely.

Since her uniforms no longer fit, she had received permission to wear civilian attire. The soft, blue dress she had chosen had an empire waist and a slightly flared skirt that hit her mid-knee, and on her feet were white satin sandals with three-inch heels. Her only adornment was a pair of diamond earrings and her wedding rings.

She looked absolutely beautiful, and it was with great effort that Jack finally removed his eyes from her and directed his attention to the Vice President who had been going on about something for the past several minutes. Jack just kept nodding, even though he had no idea what the man was rattling on about.

"Jack," Daniel said as he strolled up to him, and Jack nodded.

Jack made introductions all around and suggested that everyone take a place at the big table. Sam and Daniel had both heard him refer to her as Samantha Carter, and Daniel gave Jack a look that said he didn't approve of Jack's stubborn attitude concerning her name. Sam just let it go, not wanting to make a scene.

Jack, who hated to make speeches, gave a short, humorous welcome and thank you to George Hammond, and then he let Daniel take over. He knew the young man could always be counted on to be eloquent, if not short-winded. After a somewhat lengthy speech, everyone applauded General Hammond, and the head of the Air Force rose to present him with an award. Afterward they were served a delicious three course meal prepared by the base's head chef and served by base personnel.

All in all, Jack thought the affair went off quite well, and apparently so did the guests. After much hand shaking, they left the base to return to Washington, D.C., and Jack was left to listen to the staff cleaning up the room next to his office, while he sat back in his desk chair and enjoyed a tumbler of Irish whiskey.

He was totally taken off guard when he looked up and saw Sam standing in the open doorway. He began to get up, but she waved him back into his chair.

"No, don't bother to get up. I'm not staying. I just wanted to say it was nice. You're doing a good job around here. Vice President Thompson was quite complimentary, you know."

"Thank you! And yes, he was, wasn't he? May I say that you were like a breath of fresh air among a room full of otherwise stale suits?"

She giggled and smiled at him.

"Thank you. I just wish I could have worn my uniform, but it's a little tight these days. It still seems odd to dress like this," she said, looking down at her filmy, blue gown that matched her sapphire eyes precisely.

"No! You look wonderful! In fact I'm going to requisition those for the rest of the female staff," Jack teased, and Sam laughed and shook her head at his silliness. He always had a way of making her laugh.

"I look like a cow," she said, making a face.

"No, you don't! You look like a pregnant lady, which is what you are. How far along are you now?"

"About four and a half months...Sir."

Jack simply nodded, his mouth slightly open. It felt strange talking about her pregnancy with Jack. In fact, it felt strange talking to him about anything! They had both been avoiding each other. Was that the way he really wanted things?

"Sir, may I speak freely?"

"Of course, Carter," he said.

"I wish we could put the past behind us, Sir."

"I want that too, Sam," he told her honestly.

"Then could you please just call me by my legal name? You know I'm not Sam Carter anymore."

"I know, but you'll always be Carter to me," he said with a wistful look on his face.

"Sir...you have to let me get on with my life. You can't keep reminding me of how things used to be," she told him firmly.

"Am I doing that? Sorry, I wasn't aware..."

"I think you're very aware and are doing it on purpose, Sir."

"Sorry you feel that way. In the future I will call you by your legal name. Now if there's nothing else, I have a bottle here with my name on it," he told her, reaching for his glass, his eyes remaining on the bottle.

Sam stood there for a beat. But when he didn't meet her eyes again, she turned and walked out of the office.

After she left that night, he mentally kicked himself for being so abrupt and unfriendly toward her, when all he really wanted to do was profess his undying love, and get down on his knees and beg her to leave that twit Shanahan.

That night was the last time he saw her alone, until one night almost four months later.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

It was very late on a Friday night, and Jack was just signing some requisitions that had been hand-delivered by Sam's lab assistant, when he got a phone call.

"O'Neill," he answered.

"Jack...Sir, it's me," she said and Jack immediately recognized Sam's voice, even though it sounded unusually quiet and...was she crying?

"Sam? Sam, what's wrong?"

"I...I didn't know who else to call, Sir. I need... Could you come over here?"

Sam's voice sounded so small and totally unlike herself, and Jack knew that something was very wrong.

"To your house? Well, I guess, but..."

He knew Sam and Pete had bought a house, but he never expected to set foot in the place, nor did he really care to!

"Yes, Just come. Please?"

"Of course, I'll be right there!"

Jack hung up and shouted to Walter to find his 2iC, Rogers, and tell him to get down there on the double. Then Jack headed for the surface. He didn't even take time to change into his civilian clothing, because Carter had sounded so strange, so lost.

As he headed for her house, he realized he hadn't stopped to check the exact address. It had been stupid and thoughtless for him to just start out unprepared like this. But as he drove down the winding street, which he was certain was the correct one, the exact location soon became apparent to him. Up ahead he could see several police squad cars parked in front of and in the driveway of a rambling brick house with a white picket fence.

Jack parked his truck in the closest available space up the street, and walked back to the house, wondering what on earth was going on, and if this was even the correct house. Even though he knew that Pete had been transferred to the Colorado Springs Police Department several weeks ago, the police cars didn't necessarily indicate he had the right place. Perhaps something had happened to one of their neighbors. But then he saw Sam's old Volvo parked just in front of the garage that sat near the back of the house, and Jack knew for certain he had come to the right place.

With his heart beating a mile a minute and so loudly that it was drowning out all his thoughts, Jack went up to the front door and rang the doorbell. Only the screen door was closed, and Jack could hear people inside talking. Jack heard one of them say he'd get the door, right before a tall, older police officer came up and looked through the screen door at him. Upon seeing Jack, he opened the door and spoke.

"Are you Mrs. Shanahan's commanding officer?"

"Ah...yes, I am. Is she okay? What's going on?"

The big man stepped back and made way for Jack to enter.

"You better come in. She's in there," he said tilting his head to the right. "She's had quite a shock. Her husband was killed a couple of hours ago in a drive by shooting downtown."

The news hit Jack like a ton of bricks. Pete Shanahan was dead!

"Killed? Pete? Oh, my God!"

"Yeah. Don't worry, we'll get the son-of-a-bitch that did it," he assured Jack, who was only thinking of what a shock this must be for poor Sam. No wonder she sounded so distraught on the phone. "Go on back. The neighbor lady's with her, but she wants to see you. Oh, and I've already called Pete's sister in Ohio. Her plane gets in tomorrow afternoon at four. I'll have someone pick her up at the airport and bring her here."

Jack just nodded, unable to think of anything to say to the man. His legs suddenly felt like they were made of lead as he began walking toward the back part of the house. He looked right and left at the rooms of a home he had never seen before, noticing all the new, impersonal furnishings that were totally unfamiliar to him. This was a part of Sam's life he knew nothing about, and he suddenly felt he didn't belong here.

He felt like a stranger here and very out of place until he saw Sam sitting on one end of an L-shaped sectional sofa. She turned to him and held out her arms, and Jack almost ran to her. Then he went down on one knee in front of her, their arms going around each other.

"Sam! Honey, I'm so sorry," he murmured in her ear as he held her close.

But then he sensed other people in the room, so he quickly got up from the floor and sat down on the sofa next to her. He put an arm around her shoulders, while Sam laid her head against his chest, her arms clinched tightly around his middle. Jack looked up at the lady standing in the kitchen doorway watching them.

"Hi, I'm Lizzie Adams. I live next door."

"General Jack O'Neill," he said, but he didn't get up or offer her his hand, since Sam was holding onto him so tightly he didn't dare try to get up.

"I didn't want to leave her until you got here, but now I gotta go. My kids..."

The mention of her children made Sam sit up and take notice. She let her arms slip from around Jack, but she grabbed onto his hand and hung on. He placed his other hand over hers where their hands rested on his thigh, feeling more than a little awkward in front of these strangers...people who knew Sam's husband...er...late husband.

"Oh, of course! You go on, Lizzie. I totally forgot about the kids. Thanks for everything," Sam told her, lifting her arms to hug the other woman.

As soon as the two women had hugged, Sam took Jack's hand again, as though she needed it to keep afloat in the sea of emotions she was feeling. Jack could tell that Sam was trying to keep her feelings in check, but her eyes were shiny with unshed tears.

"I made more coffee, and there's coffee cake and cookies for anyone who wants them," Lizzie announced to the room in general, before she left through the back door. The sergeant sitting on the far side of the room got up, announcing his desire to try her cookies, but Jack got the feeling he left because he felt just as awkward as Jack.

"Mrs. Shanahan, we'll be going now. My wife will be by later with some food for you, and I'm sure the wives of the other officers will want to pay their respects," said the older man who had answered the door. Sam started to stand up, but he indicated that she should remain seated.

"No! I'll show myself out, Sam."

"Thank you, Captain, you've been very kind. And I know Pete would be grateful for everything you're doing to find his killer."

"You can bet we'll leave no stone unturned," he said with certainty before picking up his cap and leaving the room.

Jack looked at Sam and saw how tired she looked. He wondered if it was just tonight, or was she not getting enough sleep.

"Sam, can I get you anything?"

Jack really didn't know what Sam expected from him, so he found himself treating her like she was sick or injured in some way.

"No, Jack. Everyone has been waiting on me hand and foot. They've been great, but I couldn't talk to them, Jack. I couldn't tell them how horrible I feel," she said, and Jack felt himself becoming confused, which was not unusual when he was around Sam.

"I'm sorry, Sam, I don't understand. What do you feel horrible about?"

"Jack, I feel like this is all my fault! If I hadn't married Pete, he wouldn't have moved here, and this wouldn't have happened! Don't you see? He died because of a lie!"

"A lie? What do you mean, Sam?"

"I married him knowing I could never love him like he loved me. I should never have done that. And now he's dead because of me!"

The tears that she had been trying to hold back were now running down her face and dripping off her chin. She used a tissue that had been wadded up in her small fist to try and dry her face, but more tears followed and soon she gave up.

"Sam, honey, please don't do this to yourself! Pete married you because he loved you. And he worked as a cop because it's what he wanted to do. You didn't make him do either of those things!"

"But I didn't love him, Jack...not like I love...not like I should have."

Jack thought he knew what she had started to say. She hadn't loved Pete like she loved him, and inside he was shouting for joy. Great God almighty, she loved him! But he knew that now was not the time to talk about such things. She needed time to deal with Pete's loss and her guilt.

"Sam, shhhh! Sweetheart, hush!"

Jack hugged her to him, one hand pressing her head to his chest as she cried...great sobs that racked her chest until it hurt and she could cry no more. Even after she stilled, Jack cuddled her in his arms, looking down at her swollen belly tenting the nightgown and robe that she was wearing.

Obviously she had been ready for bed, or all ready in bed when the officers came to give her the terrible news. What a shock it must have been...must still be for her. Jack had lost his son Charlie to a gun shot, so he was not surprised by the disbelief and the guilt she was suffering. But still her statement of having married Pete while not loving him like he loved her, had been a shock to Jack.

Her big belly was pressed against him, and every now and then he thought he could feel the baby kicking. It was an unsettling yet pleasant feeling all at the same time. Jack remembered what it had been like when Sara was carrying Charlie...how exciting and scary it had been, and this was bringing that time and those feelings back to him.

At least Jack had Sara to help care for Charlie, but now Sam would have to be mother and father to her child. Maybe he could help, if Sam would let him. He'd do that for Pete's child, because it was Sam's child too. But he was getting ahead of himself. First she had to get past her guilt, and he wasn't sure he was the one to help her do that.

After a while, when Sam had been quiet for some time, Jack spoke to her, thinking that perhaps she should go and lie down.

"Sam, honey. Wouldn't you be more comfortable lying down? Sam?"

Jack realized she must have fallen asleep from exhaustion, so he shifted her body until he could get an arm under her legs and one around her back. Then he lifted her onto his lap before standing up and carrying her toward the hallway. Suddenly, however, he realized he didn't know which door led to her bedroom.

So he did an about face and carried her back to the living room, placing her on the sofa with one of the decorative pillows under her head. He took a throw from a nearby rocking chair and opened it, covering the lower half of her body with it. Then he sat down next to her hip and tucked the coverlet around her belly, unable to stop himself from placing a hand on her, wanting to tell the life inside that he would be here for both of them...if that's what Sam wanted.

Jack was startled when Sam placed her hand over his.

"Jack, you won't leave...you'll stay with me...at least for tonight?"

"Yes, I'll stay tonight." He glanced at his watch and saw that it was almost midnight. ":But I have to be back at the base in about six hours. Is there someone I can call to come and stay with you when I leave?"

"No. It's okay. If you'll just stay till then?"

"Ya, I'll stay. I'll just catch some sleep over there in that chair," he told her, standing up. He was tired, and he was sure she must be too.

"No, Jack, there's a bed in the guest room. First door on the left."

"Okay. But first I'll help you get to bed. I was going to put you to bed, but I didn't know where you room is."

"That's okay. I'd rather stay here for now. Sleeping in our bed doesn't really appeal to me. In fact, I may never sleep in that bed again," she said before closing her eyes.

"Get some sleep. You're going to have a lot to do. You know there'll be arrangements to make," he reminded her.

"I know. I'd be grateful if you would help me with those," she admitted.

"Pete's sister will be arriving later today. I'm sure she'll want to help, but I'll do whatever you want me to do," he guaranteed her. "Did you call your father and step-mother?"

"Yes, but they can't come back to the states right now. They'll probably send flowers," she told him with a short laugh.

Jack knew that Sam's father's self-imposed absence from her life irritated Sam, even though she never complained.

"Now get some sleep," he told her before bending down to place an affectionate kiss on the top of her head.

Jack knew he would do anything for her, as long as it meant he could be near her. Holding her...having her cling to him...having her need him...was like salve for his wounded heart, and he would go to any lengths to remain by her side. He wasn't fooling himself; he knew there were still obstacles to their love for each other, but suddenly those obstacles seemed unimportant in the grand scheme of things.

That she had almost admitted that she loved him had been of monumental importance to Jack. He had known she cared for him, but a part of him had always doubted that what she felt for him could over-shadow her feelings for someone else one day. And when she had told him she'd accepted Pete's ring...well, Jack had figured the man had finally come along who had won her heart.

Now it looked as though Jack had been wrong about how much Sam cared for him; he suspected that he had already won her heart years ago. What to do about it...what to do about their future was the problem he was faced with as he tried to get to sleep in Sam's guest room.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

For the next three days Jack had helped Sam and Pete's sister Peg make funeral arrangements, notify friends and other family members, and see to it that the ladies got where they needed to be.

He had left his 2iC in charge of the base, telling him that a close friend needed his help, but everyone knew exactly who the close friend was and why he was being so attentive. And no one thought he understood exactly what Jack was feeling and how Sam's dependency on him could hurt both of them further, than did their friend Daniel Jackson.

Daniel was genuinely worried about his friends. And while he knew that Jack would not take kindly to his suggestions or observations, Daniel felt he had to say something in hopes of making Jack see the error of his ways.

They had all just come back to Sam's house from the funeral, and the living and dining rooms were filled with people chatting quietly. Sam sat on the sofa next to Peg, as they thanked Reverend Mercer, the Police Chaplain who had conducted the graveside service.

The entire Colorado Springs Police Department, plus a good number of police officers from Denver had been there. A bag pipe had played "Amazing Grace", and a unit of Police officers had fired their rifles in salute to a fine officer. And now Sam sat holding the flag that had been draped over his coffin, looking as though she were in a trance and totally unaware of what was going on around her.

Jack stood on the opposite side of the room, alone, leaning on the fireplace mantel. He still felt out of place here in their home, and a big part of him wanted to run and escape this whole mess. But a bigger part of him needed to stay here to keep watch over the woman he loved...the grieving widow who was carrying her dead husband's unborn child.

"Jack." Daniel came and stood in front of him. He stared at Jack's face, his forehead lined with concern. Jack glanced at Daniel and then quickly looked away, not wanting to encourage the man. Jack had a feeling he knew what Daniel was going to say, and he didn't want to hear it...not from him...not from anyone.

"Jack, we need to talk," he told him.

"No we don't, Daniel," Jack insisted, giving Daniel a meaningful glare before letting his eyes drift over to Sam.

He was having trouble keeping his eyes off her, even with Pete's sister sitting right next to her. He recalled how she had leaned heavily on his arm as they walked across the lawn to the grave site, and how she had allowed him to help her in and out of the big, black limousine that took them to and from the cemetery.

He hadn't thought it appropriate that he ride with Sam and Peg, but Sam had insisted upon it, so he had sat across from them, keeping his eyes downcast, rather than stare at her and reveal what was in his heart.

Daniel's voice brought Jack out of his reverie, yanking him back to the present.

"Jack, I don't care what you think; I'm concerned about both of you, and I'm going to say this whether you like it or not! You have to stop this now, before you both get hurt! Sam is still grieving. She's particularly vulnerable now. And although I shouldn't have to remind you of this fact, she is still under your command! Nothing has changed, Jack. And if you persist in this...this infatuation, it can only end badly!"

"And you know this how? When did you become such an expert on relationships, Daniel? I thought you were a Doctor of Archaeology, not a Doctor of Psychiatry!"

"I know enough to know when someone is thinking with his dick, rather than with his brain," Daniel spit back at him.

Suddenly Daniel was being shoved out of the room...one arm twisted up behind his back, as Jack manhandled him out through the back door of the house and onto the patio.

"Daniel, you're a good friend, and I know you mean well, but you don't have any idea how I feel about Sam! I love her, Daniel! I love her more than I ever thought it possible to love someone! And if she needs me, I am gonna be here for her and for her baby...for as long as she wants! And I won't tolerate any interference from you!"

Jack stomped back inside, leaving Daniel there to lean against the brick wall of the house. Daniel let out the breath he had been holding, as he pulled on the knot in his tie to loosen it.

"God, this is much worse than I thought," he said aloud to the empty back yard.

Even though Dr. Frasier had told Sam to begin her maternity leave a little early, Sam was back in her lab the following Monday. Janet had checked her vitals, and both she and the baby seemed to be doing just fine. Sam hadn't gained as much weight as Janet would have liked, but she had promised to eat more, if Janet would just release her to go back to work. So rather than argue with Sam, Janet had relented and given her permission to work for two more weeks. Then, like it or not, Sam would be forced to take three months leave.

Jack had heard from Janet the minute that Sam left the infirmary to go to her lab, and he had not been happy with Sam's stubborn decision. Nor had he been particularly surprised by it; Sam had always been a type A personality when it came to her work. But just to ease his mind, Jack decided to go down and see how Sam was doing.

"Hey," he said as he strolled into her lab, hands in pockets and looking totally relaxed, when in reality he was on pins and needles just to be seeing her again after two days away from her. Jack had decided to give her a little space and a little time with Pete's sister, who had stayed the entire weekend.

"Hey, yourself!"

"So, how's it going," Jack asked her, trying to find a way to not sound too concerned.

"It's going just fine, Doctor O'Neill," she answered with a smirk. "You and Janet have got to stop asking me how I'm doing!"

"I didn't ask how you're doing. I asked 'how's it going', which could mean a number of things, like is the experiment you're running going the way you thought it would, or is that new assistant working out, or..."

"Jack...Sorry...General...I get the picture. And everything is going as good as can be expected," she told him, giving him a little smile before quickly looking down at her computer keyboard.

"Okay. I'll get outta your hair, Carter. I just wondered...if maybe you'd like to join me for lunch in my office. The chef made beef stroganoff today, and I know how much you like it."

Jack looked at her hopefully, and was relieved when she agreed to join him.

"I'll be there. Just don't fuss over how much I eat or don't eat, okay?"

"No fussing...over anything! I promise, Ma'am," he agreed before he gave her a mock salute and strolled casually out of the lab.

Sam watched him leave, a wistful smile on her face as she imagined what her life might be like if she had married Jack instead of Pete, and if those damned frat regs didn't exist. Then she shook her head.

'But they do exist! So what the hell are you doing, Sam? You know this can never work out, and you'll both get hurt. You have to think about the baby and stop this dangerous behavior!'

Sam knew what she had to do, but she waited to give Jack enough time to get back to his office first and to make her excuse sound more plausible. After ten minutes she phoned him and told him she couldn't have lunch with him after all. Something had come up, she said. She could tell he was disappointed, and she felt awful about that, but she knew it was for the best.

Then all afternoon she spent most of her time going over and over every little thing...every look he had given her...every word he had spoken to her...in the past week. He had expressed his love for her in so many ways, without ever saying the words. He had been a rock. He had been her anchor in a stormy sea. He had been there for her, just like he'd been for the past eight years, and she realized, now more than ever, that she never wanted that to change.

She needed Jack. She wanted him desperately, and there was no use trying to kid herself any longer. She was head-over-heels in love with her commanding officer! And when she felt the baby kick her soundly in the ribs, she was reminded that she was also pregnant with another man's child...her dead husband's child. My God, how had her life become so screwed up, and what was she going to do about it?

Unable to work, Sam turned off her computer monitor and slid off of the stool. She certainly wouldn't miss this damned stool, she thought as she reached around to massage her sore back. Then she removed her white lab coat, hung it on a hanger on the back of her office door and headed for Daniel's office.

Sam thought that Daniel could always be counted on to listen objectively to her problems, and right now Sam needed to talk to someone. Janet was the only other person she might confide in, but Sam was worried about putting Janet in an uncomfortable situation. Janet was, after all, military, while Daniel was not.

"Hi, Daniel, I came down to see if I can convince you to go have lunch with me," she lied, not wanting to seem too obvious. In truth, food was about as far from her mind as Neptune!

"Sure, Sam. What are they serving today?"

"Oh, no, I thought we'd go topside," she told him, glancing around at the hundreds of items littering the tables and shelves. "Daniel, do you actually know where everything is in here?"

"Sure I do! Eh...I guess I can take the time to go to lunch off base...but only for my favorite astrophysicist!"

Twenty quiet minutes later they were seated in a booth in the Five and Diner where they ordered cheeseburgers and chocolate malts. Well, he did. Sam just ordered the malt.

"Sam, I know you invited me out to lunch to talk about something, and I think I may know what...or perhaps I should say who. It hasn't escaped me that you and Jack have been growing a lot closer lately."

"I guess I should have known. You have a talent for observation, and not just in your work," Sam said. "Yes, Jack has been...he's been a God send. I don't know what I would have done without him, Daniel," she confessed.

"Sam, you know that I would have helped you with the funeral arrangements. Yet you chose to turn to Jack. Why is that, do you suppose?"

"What are you saying, Daniel?"

"What I'm saying is that I think you now find yourself in a difficult situation...one of your own making. Jack has feelings for you. We've known that for quite a while. You knew it, and yet he was the one you called when you found out about Pete. You put yourself and Jack in a situation that can only lead to heart ache for both of you. You need to take a step back now, before it's too late," Daniel said softly, reaching out to touch her hand.

"My God, Daniel, what have I done?"

Jack had decided to give Sam some space after she backed out of their lunch date. He had sensed that she lied about having something urgent to do, and so he figured he'd back off a bit, while still letting her know he cared. He didn't show up in her lab again for over a week, but every day there was a yellow rose laying across her computer keyboard when she arrived in the morning.

Sam knew the roses were from Jack. She added them one by one to a vase that stood on her desk, and each day she'd take a whiff of their sweet scent and imagine Jack handing her the rose, right before he took her in his arms and kissed her. And each day she shook her head and frowned, wishing all romantic thoughts of her CO would just simply fly right out of her head. But they didn't.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

On the Wednesday of the last week before her maternity leave began, Jack showed up again in her lab doorway, with a sexy grin on his face that made her want to drop everything and run into his arms. Assuming she could run while carrying this heavy baby around, that is!

"Hi, General! What brings you here?"

She was standing at her work bench, trying to decide what assignment to give her new lab assistant next. The girl clearly lacked confidence, and Sam wished she could find something that the young woman excelled at, so she would feel better about herself.

"You bring me here! And this," he said, revealing the long-stemmed, yellow rose he had been holding behind his back.

He walked toward her and Sam's knees almost buckled. She quickly grabbed the edge of the counter for support as a feeling of dizziness swept over her.

Jack rushed over and grabbed her around the ribcage before guiding her backward toward the stool. Getting her up on it was not an easy matter, but somehow Jack managed to lift her and get her safely seated.

"You okay, Sam? You look as white as your lab coat."

"I'm fine, I think," she said, as she realized she had both hands on his shoulders, and he still held onto her, his long fingers splayed under her armpits, thumbs under her swollen breasts.

She removed her hands from his shoulders and straightened up, but Jack did not let go of her right away. He wanted to make certain she was not going to swoon and fall off the stool.

"You sure? Maybe I should call Janet?"

He studied her face and then slowly let his hands slide down her body before releasing his grip on her. His hands seemed to leave a hot trail where he had touched her, and Sam had to fight hard to keep her composure.

She found it difficult to speak at first, and her heart was racing by the time his fingers released her. My God, she thought, had the dizziness something to do with Jack? She had to admit she had been more easily aroused since becoming pregnant, and almost any little thing could set her to thinking about how much she missed sex. And of course this was Jack...bringing her a rose and looking good enough to jump!

"No, I'm fine now. I just felt a little dizzy for a split second. Janet would probably say that I need to eat something," she told him, laughing nervously. He nodded and gave her a smug smile.

"Then I've got just what the doctor ordered! You sit right here, and I'll be right back," he yelled as he ran out of the lab. He wasn't gone but a minute before he came back pushing a metal cart on which were about a dozen take-out boxes, along with two plates, two forks, two pairs of chopsticks and a small stack of napkins.

"Oh, my God! What on earth did you do...buy everything on the menu?" Sam could clearly see the labels on the containers. They were from her favorite Chinese restaurant!

"No, but I will if it'll get you to have lunch with me? And if there's nothing here you feel like having, I'll call and get whatever you want," he told her anxiously.

Sam was about to try and make up some excuse why she couldn't take time for lunch, but she didn't have the heart to lie to him again. Besides, the food smelled wonderful!

"I'm sure I'll like whatever you've gotten, but let's take it in my office so I can sit in a real chair," she suggested as she carefully got down off the stool. Jack reached out and put one arm around her shoulders, just in case she felt dizzy again.

"I can walk by myself, Ja...General," she said, catching herself before she called him Jack again. She had found herself calling him Jack during the week of Pete's funeral, and now she was finding it hard to go back to what was proper when they were on duty.

"I know you can. Sorry, I don't mean to hover," he said, removing his arm. "You go get comfortable and I'll bring in the food," he suggested, waiting patiently as she waddled into her office.

Sam walked around the desk and pulled the chair way back to give herself enough space before sitting down. She hated how big she had gotten, especially knowing that she still had another month to go. 'By the time this baby is born I'll be as big as a house!'

Sam sighed contentedly as she leaned back in her comfortable desk chair. If only she could sit in it while she worked in the lab. 'At least it's only for a few more days, and then I'll be staying home,' she reminded herself, but the idea of not coming to her lab and not having Jack so close by, turned her contented expression to one of depression.

But as she watched Jack's hands fiddling with the small boxes, a smile appeared on her face. God, he was just so damned cute and endearing!

She watched patiently as Jack opened every one of the white, paper boxes. Then he pulled the cart closer to her, so she could see what was in them. Jack was being so sweet to her, and Sam just couldn't resist smiling at him as he looked up to see what she would choose. The man was positively priceless; inside the little containers were all of Sam's favorites!

"Lemon chicken, broccoli beef and fried rice for starters. Then I'll see if I have room for more," she said, laughing.

"Yes, it does look like the little one is taking up a lot of space in there," he joked, looking down at her belly.

"Are you saying that I'm fat, General," she asked him, faking a pout.

"No, I am not saying you're fat. I'm just saying that I think Junior is going to be a big baby. Between nine and ten pounds, I'm guessing."

"And you're an expert on this subject, are you Doctor O'Neill," she asked with a crooked grin, as she scooped up a forkful of rice and lemon chicken.

Jack sat down in the only other chair in the room, his plate piled high with food. He placed the plate on the desk and bent over it, shoveling in the food as though he were starving.

"Jack, did anyone ever tell you to slow down when you eat?"

"Ya, my mom did. But I never listened to her either," he said with a grin that brought out those adorable dimples that Sam loved.

"Oh! I almost forgot!"

He sprang up out of the chair and bent down to reach the tea pot that was sitting on the bottom shelf of the cart. He set two tiny ceramic cups down on her desk and filled them with tea. The jasmine scent filled the air, and made Sam smile.

He had remembered all her favorites, including the jasmine tea. And somehow the man had even managed to find a tea pot and Chinese porcelain tea cups! The man was just too much, and it took all her willpower to resist getting up and giving him a big kiss for being so sweet.

What on earth was she going to do? If she denied him moments like this, it would hurt him. If she continued to let him get closer to her, knowing they could never be what he wanted them to be, he'd still get hurt. What in the hell was she supposed to do?

"General, this was really very nice of you, but you shouldn't have gone to all this trouble."

"It was no trouble at all, Sam. I'm happy if it makes you happy," he told her, and Sam just sighed. There was no easy way out of this mess. But there was something else she needed to talk to him about, and now seemed like a good time.

"I know I asked you to hold my spot on SG-1 until I get back from maternity leave. But after seeing the way that Paul is fitting in, I think it would be terribly unfair for me to come back."

"What are you saying, Sam? You DO want to be assigned to an off-world team, don't you?"

"Actually, I'm not certain that I do, General. I mean... I'm going to have a child to consider. I put my life at risk each time I go out there. What if something happened, and I didn't come back? Who would raise my child?"

"I guess I see what you mean; having children does put a whole new slant on things. I always hated leaving Charlie, but at least I knew he'd have his mom to care for him if anything ever happened to me. So, you would prefer to just work in the lab?"

"Well, it's not what I prefer, but I really can't have it both ways," she said sadly.

"It's up to you, Sam. Which ever way you decide, you'll always have a place here at the SGC. This place couldn't function without you!"

"Then I'm making it official; I am formally asking to be relieved from off-world travel on a regular basis. I might take an occasional trip from time to time, if the circumstance warranted it, but otherwise I'm going to devote all my time to my child and to my lab."

Sam smiled and then went back to eating. She felt relief at having made the decision. Now if she could just figure out what to do about Jack and his feelings for her...and her feelings for him!

Jack wasn't as disappointed in her decision as he thought he might be. He had wanted her to have her own unit for so long, and then she did have it. And now she was giving SG-1 up, but she was getting so much more in return. She would have a child soon...a son or daughter to raise, and that was worth so much more than any off-world assignment.

And most importantly to him, after the baby was born she would still work here, where he could see her every day.

So, in Jack's book, today had been a pretty good day.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Just when Sam thought that spending a month at home before the baby came would be boring, she discovered she was wrong, and that time had a way of whizzing past at a frightening speed! Sam had spent the past two weeks preparing for the new arrival, but she still wasn't finished.

She had wanted to hire a painter, but when Jack heard about her plans, he insisted on painting the nursery himself the following weekend. So on Sunday he came over and worked all day, dressed in an old, worn pair of cut-offs and an old T-shirt, which eventually he removed and used to wipe his sweaty brow.

On the pretense of bringing Jack something cold to drink, or putting clothing or linens away in the closet, Sam would come into the room every few minutes just to stare at his naked chest or back, feeling those familiar tendrils of desire winding their way through her body.

And Jack wasn't as stupid as she apparently thought; it was pretty clear to him exactly what she was looking at, and that was just fine with him!

And after the room was painted a pale shade of matte yellow and the woodwork a glossy white, he insisted on going with her to help purchase and carry some of the larger things that the baby would be needing. So he went home and cleaned up and was back in less than an hour.

They had just gotten home from Babies R Us with a car seat, a swing, a stroller, a playpen, a mobile and all sorts of toys and linens, when Jack looked around and asked about the bed. She had ordered the baby bed before Pete died, but it was still sitting in the box in the garage

"I haven't had time to put it together yet," she told him in a tired voice, as she stacked the bed linens on a shelf. She thought she would get to it eventually. It just seemed like suddenly the birth was upon her, and she was running out of time!

"You won't be putting it together...I will! You deal with some of the lighter things, and I'll take care of the bed," he told her, dropping the last three sacks of purchases on the carpeted floor.

"But Jack, you've done so much already," she began, but Jack ignored her, already half way to the garage. By the end of the day, the room was ready, the infant seat was installed in her car, and Jack had even assembled the wind-up swing.

He stood in the doorway and looked around, as though trying to decide if the room met with his approval.

"So, what do you think, Sir?"

"I think we're ready for a baby," he yelled, grabbing her and picking her up in his arms. Sam let out a cry of surprise as she grabbed him around the neck and hung on for dear life.

"Jack! Sir! I'm too heavy. Put me down before you hurt yourself."

"Nah, Carter, you hardly weigh anything," he told her as he smiled down at her.

Jack's eyes held a spark that gave Sam goose bumps as she stared deeply into their almost black depths. He suddenly broke the connection, dropping his eyes to her mouth, and Sam was fairly certain he was going to kiss her.

But just then Jack's cell phone rang and the spell was broken. Jack gently lowered Sam to her feet, and she straightened her blouse while Jack pulled his cell phone out of his pocket.

"O'Neill. What's the problem?"

Jack had to go, but he promised to phone her later, which he had begun to do on a regular basis, each and every night...until one night when he didn't call.

As Sam's due date grew closer, Janet wanted her to come in twice a week for an examination. Due to Sam's unusual body chemistry, the SGC infirmary was the only place where Janet thought Sam should have her baby. And that was fine with Sam; there was no doctor she trusted more than Janet Frasier anyway.

And it was on a Friday, just one week before the baby was due, that Sam arrived at the SGC for her appointment with Janet. She hadn't heard from Jack the night before, which was unusual. So she thought she'd stop by his office and see if he was okay.

"Sgt. Harriman, where's General O'Neill," she asked the little man.

"Ah...he...eh...I'm not sure, actually. You'll have to ask Col. Rogers, Ma'am," the Sgt. replied.

Sam thought it was strange that Walter didn't know where Jack was, but she decided she'd keep her appointment with Janet first, before going to see the Colonel.

"So Sam, how are you feeling? Any more of those contractions?"

Janet's head disappeared beneath the paper drape that lay across Sam's belly and upper legs.

"No, not since last week. Is that good? I mean if they come back, how will I know if they're the real thing or not," she asked, feeling nervous about how much she still didn't know about having a baby...or about raising one, for that matter! As far as she was concerned, building a naquada reactor was a piece of cake, as Jack would say. But having a baby and taking care of it was something she knew nothing about!

"Well, by the looks of things, I'd say you won't have to worry about that, Sam. You're beginning to dilate!"

"I am! Wow! I don't even feel anything," she exclaimed with a chuckle.

"Oh, I'm certain you will eventually. But you've got a while to wait yet. So how about we get you comfortable in one of the private rooms? Did you bring your over-night bag like I told you?"

"Yes, it's in the car. The diaper bag is in there too. Should I go up and get them?"

"No, why don't you let Jack or Danny do that for you? I'm sure they'd love to help," Janet suggested.

"I'll ask Daniel to get them. Did you know that General O'Neill is not on base, Janet," she asked as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up.

"No, I didn't." Janet removed her rubber gloves and looked at Sam curiously. "You mean you actually don't know where he is?"

Janet knew that Jack and Sam had been spending a lot of time together since Pete's death. And although she didn't necessarily disapprove, she did worry that one or both of them could get hurt. And then there were always the fraternization regulations, which if they weren't careful, could get them both kicked out of the Air Force.

"No, I don't, and I'm a little worried. It isn't like Ja...the General to not tell me where he's going to be. He didn't phone me last night, either," she said, and Janet lifted an eyebrow at her.

"He phones you every Thursday night?"

"No, Janet, he phones me EVERY night." Janet's other eyebrow lifted to meet its twin. "I know what you're thinking, Janet, but there's nothing going on. We're just good friends! He's just looking out for me!"

"I know, honey, but I worry about you...about both of you. I don't see how this relationship you're building can lead to anything but heartache and pain," Janet said, patting Sam's arm.

"Deep down inside I know you're right, but I just can't tell him to leave me alone, Janet. He seems happy when he's helping me, and I need someone to lean on now that Pete's gone. So what's the harm in it?"

"Sam, it's obvious you know how Jack feels about you. Allowing him to be a part of your life and the baby's life might seem innocent right now, but what if one day you decide to marry again? Do you really think your new husband will want Jack around?"

"That will never happen, Janet," Sam stated with certainty.

"How do you know it won't. Your baby will need a father, Sam, and you will want a man in your bed again," Janet reminded her.

"No, I wont! I don't want anyone else," she proclaimed ambiguously.

Sam's eyes had grown misty, and when she looked at Janet, it was all she could do to stop herself from blurting out the truth about what Jack really meant to her. But Janet must have seen something in her eyes, or construed it from her words, because suddenly her mouth fell open in shock.

"Sam! Oh, my God, you've fallen in love with the man, haven't you!"

But suddenly they both heard the sound of footsteps approaching, and the voice of General O'Neill asking for Janet.

"We're in here, General," she said, pulling back the privacy curtain, "and I think Sam has something to tell you," she told him, stepping aside to allow Jack to pass.

Then Janet turned around and walked away, leaving the privacy curtain open for the sake of propriety. Sam may have lost her mind, but she was not going to aid her in throwing away a perfectly good career!

"Sam, I'm so sorry I wasn't here when you got here! I had a little problem," he said hastily, and Sam felt relieved to see him. He did look a little harried though, and Sam still had to wonder where he had been...and why he hadn't called last night.

"Is everything all right," she asked as he cautiously trailed his hand along the bed until it brushed her fingers. With the security cameras everywhere, he didn't dare take her hand in his, although that was precisely what he wanted to do.

"Yes! Everything's fine! Are you okay? What do you want to tell me?"

"I'm okay, but Janet says I'm in labor, Sir!"

"Wow! That's great! How much longer, Janet," Jack shouted, turning to follow Janet's retreating back with his eyes.

She looked back over her shoulder as she spoke from across the big room, but even from that distance it was clear the man was beyond happy. His smile was bigger than any Janet had seen on his face since she'd known him.

"Oh, I'd say Sam's in for quite a wait, since this is her first baby. It could be ten hours or more. It's really too soon to tell. Just the same, I want her to stay here. She'll be in room two down the hall, General."

"Jack, my over-night case and the diaper bag are in my car. Will you get them for me?"

"Sure! Of course! Anything else I can get for you? A cup of herbal tea? Peanut butter cup ice cream? Deck of cards? A Yo Yo?"

He had this priceless, almost childlike expression of joy on his face, and all Sam wanted to do was kiss him till they both couldn't breath. But of course she restrained herself, giving his arm a friendly pat instead.

"No, Jack...er...Sir...just the bags, if you please." She dropped her hand from his arm, but he caught it and squeezed her fingers, regardless of who might be watching.

"Okay, Sam. I'll be right back!" Their eyes locked in a look of love unspoken, and then he was gone.

Sam slipped into her sandals and walked over to the open doorway of Janet's office. She stood their quietly waiting until Janet looked up.

"Did you hear him...how happy he sounded?"

"I did," Janet affirmed.

"How can I tell him I don't want him around, Janet? It would kill him."

"And maybe it would kill you too," Janet observed. But Sam hadn't heard her, as she had already turned to walk toward the room where her baby would soon be born.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

It had been nineteen years since the birth of his son, Charlie, but not a day went by that he didn't think about him and wonder what he'd be like if he were still alive. Would he be in college? Would he have joined the military? Would he have a girlfriend?

Jack shook off the sad and angry feelings that always accompanied thoughts of his dead son and hurried to Sam's car. He wanted to get back to her side as quickly as possible, even though he knew that the birth of her baby was probably still hours away. He needed to be with her, to let her know he hadn't forgotten about her. Although he hadn't said anything about it, his failure to call her the night before was weighing heavily on his mind. And he knew that eventually he'd need to tell her exactly what had prevented him from phoning.

He hadn't heard from Ashley in months, and he figured she was busy with work and classes and probably didn't even think about him. Then he had unexpectedly received a call from her about three weeks ago. She had asked for his help. And because he really liked the girl, and possibly because he felt sorry for her, he had gone to see her. As Jack carried the two bags to the elevator, he thought about what had happened at her townhouse that day.

"Come in, Jack. I know I probably shouldn't have called you, but I'm really glad you're here!" Jack stepped in out of the pouring rain and ran his fingers through his hair, the excess water dripping off his hand and down onto the carpet.

With her hair pulled back in one thick braid, and dressed in her favorite shorty pj's, she looked the same...very young and innocent. But she sounded different somehow...hardened and less cheerful than her old self, and Jack suspected that something very bad had happened in her life since he'd seen her last.

"Sorry," he said as he realized he was leaving a puddle on her floor.

"It' okay. Don't worry about it. Here, let me take your coat," she offered, and Jack shrugged out of his wet coat and handed it to her. She hung it up on a hanger and took it into the bathroom. When she came back into the living room, Jack saw the dark, tell-tale signs of a woman who'd been abused.

"Who did that to you," he asked as he spotted the bruises on her arms and neck.

"It doesn't matter, Jack. He won't bother me again," she assured him, but Jack wanted to know more. He was afraid she was lying to him, so he'd stay out of it. But if that was the case, why had she called him?

"What do you mean? How do you know he won't?"

She grabbed his hand and pulled him down on the sofa, where she sat on her knees next to him, still holding his hand.

"He's in jail. It was my manager, Mike, at the club, Jack. You remember I told you he'd lost his liquor license?"

Jack nodded. He did remember, and he also remembered he'd forgotten to ask her how she would make a living if the club closed.

"Yes, I remember."

"Well, what I didn't know at the time, was that he was in debt up to his eyeballs. Apparently he has a lot of gambling debts, and he couldn't pay for the liquor license or anything else, including wages he owed me and some of the girls. And when the club closed, Mike made a deal with the other girls. He said he'd get them dates, and he'd split their take with them 50-50."

"Dates? You mean his was pimping them out?"

"Yes." She saw the look of disdain on his face and felt the need to support her friends' decision. Tears were beginning to choke off her words, but she somehow managed to continue.

"Jack, a lot of them have kids, and they felt they had no choice. With the exception of prostitution, nothing pays as well as dancing for girls who have little or no education! And he threatened to say we had been pilfering money from him, if we tried to get jobs as dancers at another club in town."

"Anyway, when Mike asked me to work for him, I told him 'no way', but he didn't want to take no for an answer. When I told him I was staying with my job as a waitress, he got really mad, and that's when he attacked me."

"The bastard! I'll kill him!"

"I already tried that, Jack. He had come on to me before, and he knew I wasn't interested in him. Well, this time he tried to... When he was holding me down, I stabbed him with a scissors," she gulped through her tears.

Jack pulled her into his arms, and she went willingly, crying her heart out. But then she pulled back and swiped at her tears with one hand, her face angry and so unlike the Ashley he had known. Yeah, her life really had taken a bad turn since he'd seen her last!

"He...he threatened to bring charges against me. Can you believe the nerve of that bastard! I can't afford to hire a lawyer, Jack. Waiting tables doesn't pay even half of what I was making before. I had to skip summer school, so I can work to save money for my fall tuition and books. But even if I work a lot of double shifts, it still won't be enough. That's why I called you. I was hoping that maybe you would help me. I'd pay you back just as soon as I can!"

She broke down completely then, her chest heaving as her emotions overwhelmed her.

"Oh, my God, baby, of course I'll help you! Come 'ere," he crooned, pulling her into his arms again.

She went willingly, clinging to him and crying till she couldn't cry anymore. Jack just sat and held her while she while sobs racked her body, rubbing his hand up and down her back. He could tell she was wearing no bra under the thin little top. And even though he tried to keep his emotions in check, the feel of her tender flesh through the thin, cotton barrier was wreaking havoc on his willpower.

After several minutes, her tears finally slowed and she was able to speak again.

"I'm afraid of what Mike will do when he gets out of jail, Jack, and I can't afford to move so he can't find me.

She began to cry again, and Jack pulled her onto his lap and rocked her like a baby. Her arms went around his neck and she turned her face into his lean, tan neck and inhaled Jack's masculine scent, feeling at once safe and protected.

"What about your parents? Can't they help you?"

"My mother's dead, and my father's an alcoholic. He can't even work to support himself. I have an older brother and I'm sure he'd like to help me, but he doesn't have much money. Plus he has a wife and three kids to feed."

She shuddered out a breath and sniffed loudly, wiping at her face with her small hands, and Jack's kind heart simply melted. He would help her and protect her in any way that he could.

"Shhh! It's okay. Don't worry. I'll find out what's going on from the police. And I have a friend who's a lawyer. I'll talk to him. I know he does some pro bono work," he told her.

"Really? You'd do that for me?"

"Of course I will. That's what friends are for, honey."

"Thank you, Jack! You are a very special man, do you know that?"

With one hand around the back of his neck she pulled him down till his lips met hers. And even though Jack had promised himself he wasn't going to sleep with her again, he soon found himself in her bed. Very early the following morning he kissed her good-bye as she slept, and then he let himself out, locking the door behind him.

He knew a few guys in the military who owed him some favors, so he got them to watch her place day and night. They also followed her to work, but he knew that might not be enough to keep her safe. So he called his lawyer friend and asked him to look into the case. What the lawyer found out was why Jack had spent last evening helping her move from her rented townhouse into his house, and it was why he hadn't had the time to phone Sam.

After spending only twenty-one days in jail, Mike was being released. None of the girls who had been working for him would testify against him. And even though Ashley had testified that he had attempted to rape her, and he had pleaded no contest, he had been given only three weeks confinement for assault and battery.

The only good thing that had happened was that no charges had been brought against Ashley for stabbing him. So now Ashley was staying at Jack's house...for how long, Jack wasn't certain. Somehow he had to tell Sam about his involvement with the young woman, but today certainly wasn't the right time.

Since most of the off-world teams were either on long-term assignments on distant planets or had been given down time for the next week or two, Jack left Colonel Rogers in charge of base operations, so he could focus his attention on Sam. Ashley was being well-guarded by his friends. And now that she was staying at his place, he felt she was much safer. But she also had to quit her job and stay put most of the time, which didn't sit well with a spunky, free spirit like Ashley.

Just that morning they had a talk about her not going out unless he went with her, and at least for now she had promised to do as he asked. So now all he had to do was concentrate on Sam and the baby, and that was exactly what he did for the next twenty four hours.

"It's your turn, Sam," Daniel told her, as he waited for Sam's attention to return to the checker game they were playing. He had offered to sit with her while Jack went and got himself something for dinner. He returned with a tray loaded down with food, reminding Sam a lot of Teal'c.

"Did you leave anything for anyone else, Jack," Daniel teased.

After their altercation at Sam's house, Jack and Daniel's relationship had slowly but surely gone back to the way it had been. Daniel wasn't one to hold grudges, and Jack knew that Daniel was really just trying to help.

"Yes, smart ass, I did. For your information, some of this is for you, Dr. Jackson."

"Why thank you, Jack," Daniel said, his smile scrunching up his eyes into tiny slits.

"Oh, and there's blueberry Jello for you too, Sam. Janet said you could eat light," Jack added, smiling as he handed her the bowl of blue, jiggling cubes.

"For me? Thank you," she said, giving him one of her mega-watt smiles as she reached out for it.

Jack returned her smile with more of a toned-down smirk. He found he was always smiling when she was around. In fact most of the time lately he felt just damned giddy! And even though Daniel knew how they felt about one another, as a rule he tried to hide his amorous feelings for her, no matter who was present.

Daniel was very surprised by Jack's thoughtfulness. He also wondered if Jack had an ulterior motive. And like always, he got directly to the point.

"This was very nice of you, Jack. Should I be expecting you to ask a favor of me any time soon," he asked suspiciously.

"Could be, Daniel," Jack said, grinning to himself as he dug into a steamy, hot and flaky chicken pot pie. As he was eating, he began to formulate a plan...something that might help Ashley and Daniel at the same time.

And after they ate, Jack saw his chance to talk to Daniel alone when Janet came in to check on Sam's progress. The two men stepped out into the hallway, and Jack couldn't wait to see how he felt about an idea that he had.

"Daniel, you know how you're always saying that your collection...the one you have in your apartment...really should be catalogued, but you don't have time for it?"

"Yes, Jack. Why?" Daniel's usual distrust of Jack's motives was evident in his tone, but Jack forged ahead anyway.

"Well, you know how you're always saying that you sometimes wonder why you even keep a place off base?"

Daniel simply nodded, but the wheels in his head were spinning rapidly, trying to figure out where Jack could be going with this conversation. So far he hadn't a clue!

"What if you had someone living there who did nothing but catalogue your stuff for you?"

Now that question/suggestion was certainly a surprise he never expected! The only response he could think of was to treat Jack's question as a joke.

"You volunteering, Jack?"

"Daniel, I'm serious! How would you feel about hiring someone...say a student of socio-anthropology...who would live at your place and work on the stuff every day?"

Slowly something was was beginning to make sense in Daniel's brain. Who was this mysterious person for whom Jack was trying to find employment and a place to live?

"I don't know that I could afford someone to do that, Jack. But more importantly, why would you all of a sudden take such an interest in my collection and whether or not it's catalogued?"

It wasn't the question foremost in his mind, but he figured the answer might reveal what he really wanted to know, and he was correct.

Daniel was studying Jack with a very curious look on his face, and Jack wondered if Daniel would believe any of the lies he was about to tell him. 'Well, he decided, there was only one way to find out!'

"It just so happens I know this girl named Ashley Sinclair. She's the daughter of a friend of mine, and she's a student at the University. She's working as a waitress to put herself through school, but the hours are awful, and she'd really rather be doing something related to her future career. Right now she'd working to save up enough money to go back to school in the fall, and I know she would love to help you! Plus she's a really nice person, and I'm sure you'd like her," Jack ended with a flourish of his hands in the air.

Aha! So this Ashley was the person Jack was trying to help, but was Jack's reason for wanting to help her more than he was saying? Remembering vividly Jack's ability to choke the life out of him wasn't enough to stop Daniel from asking his next question.

"Are you being truthful with me, Jack?"

"Daniel, have I ever lied to you about anything," Jack asked quickly, and immediately regretted that he hadn't taken longer to think of some other response.

"Actually? Yes, you have! Remember that time on P3X-244? ...the stuff you gave me to drink? And the time on P2X-595 when you thought I was asleep? And then there was that girl on P2X..."

"Ack! Okay! You made your point! This is important, Daniel. What do you say...will you let Ashley stay at your place and work for you, or not?"

"Jack, while your idea sounds very interesting, I'm not even sure I can afford to pay her," he whined.

"Don't worry about it. I'll take care of that," Jack assured him. "Her dad is a proud guy, so that part will need to remain between you and me, though. Your contribution will be to let her stay at your place. I'll make sure she has everything else that she needs," Jack told him. "I owe it...to her father," Jack explained, the lie grating on his nerves.

He hated lying to his friend about anything this serious, but Jack didn't want Daniel to suspect there was any other reason he might be taking such a personal interest in Ashley. If Daniel found out that Jack had been sleeping with her, he was certain that keeping that fact from Sam would be next to impossible.

"Okay, I guess it would be okay."

"Great, Daniel! I'll tell Ashley tonight. She can probably move into your place this coming weekend."

Jack slapped Daniel on the back so hard that he almost knocked the man down. And although Daniel acted as though he believed everything Jack had told him about Ashley and her situation, Daniel had his doubts. He decided then and there that when he met this girl, he would find out from her what her real story was.

Daniel went back to his office, wondering exactly what Jack was up to, while Jack got on the phone and called Ashley to see how she was doing. She picked up on the first ring.

"Jack? Oh, Jack, I'm so glad it's you! I miss you. When are you coming home," she asked, and Jack immediately felt guilty for leaving her alone in a strange place.

"Not for quite a while yet. My friend...the lady I told you about...is having her baby. But I've got news for you that may make you feel better," he told her, eager to hear her reaction to the arrangements he had made with Daniel.

"What news?"

Ashley felt a bit jealous that he wanted to be with his lady friend, but she had always known how much the woman meant to Jack. At least he had never lied about how he felt about her or the other woman, and for that she was grateful. She just wished she had someone who cared about her the way that Jack cared about his friend.

"I've found you a place to live and a job," he said, and there was a silence for a few seconds while Ashley considered what he'd said.

Suddenly her life seemed to be taking one bad turn after another! Didn't he want her to live in his house after all? Maybe he hadn't told his lady friend, and he was afraid she wouldn't like it. And what job had he gotten her?

"Jack, I thought it was okay if I stayed at your place for a while," she asked in a small voice.

"Well, I think you'll be safer if you stay some place that has no connection to me. I was at the club that time, and Mike could have found out who I am. Plus, it'll almost be like having a place of your own."

'And I'll have my privacy too, and it'll be easier to keep Sam from seeing you,' you he thought to himself. He knew he needed to tell Sam the whole truth, but he was finding it very hard to do.

"You see there's this friend of mine named Jackson. He's an archaeologist. And he has this really nice apartment, but he's never there."

"He's gone on missions...er...overseas... most of the time. And he has this awesome collection of anthropological artifacts at home that needs cataloguing. But he doesn't really have the time to do it himself. So I suggested that you could do it, and he agreed. You can live in his apartment, and of course you'll be paid for the work."

"Wow, Jack, that does sound wonderful! I guess I could do that. It would certainly be educational. And I guess it really would be better for me to get outta your hair. I mean now that your lady friend is no longer married...," she began intuitively.

"Yes, well, we don't know where our relationship is heading just yet, but we are getting closer," he admitted.

"I understand, Jack, and I would never interfere with your private life," she told him honestly.

Jack breathed a sigh of relief. He had really been worried about hurting her feelings. There was just one more thing he had to mention to her.

"There's just one thing that I'd like for you to do for me, Ashley."

"Sure! Anything, Jack!"

"Don't tell Daniel about us. He thinks you're the daughter of a friend of mine. A friend in the military. He knows you've been going to college and working as a waitress. And that's all he needs to know. Are you okay with that?"

"Yes, Jack. I get it. You're trying to protect yourself. It's okay, I understand. Just promise me something?"

"Sure, honey, if I can," he answered with another sigh of relief.

"Don't forget about me? I mean I'd really like to see you once in a while. I'll miss you," she said, and she meant it. Jack had been one of the best things to happen to her since she moved to Colorado from Georgia almost three years ago.

"I'll help you move to Daniel's place on Sunday. And I promise I won't forget about you. In fact I'll stop by every now and then to see how you're doing. How's that?"

"That'd be great, Jack. Now go see if that baby has arrived yet," she said, as she sniffed back tears of joy and sadness.

She really was gonna miss this man, but she knew getting over him was probably for the best. Even though he didn't act like it most of the time, she knew he was way too old for her.

If only she could find someone as good as Jack O'Neill who would love her and want to protect her the way that he did, she thought as she began packing for her move to Daniel's place.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

While the birth of a baby is always a momentous occasion, the birth of this baby at the SGC was even more special. It was the first birth at the base, and it was the birth of a child belonging to one of the originators of the stargate program and the foremost expert on wormhole technology!

And so it was with much joy and happiness that the entire base welcomed Sam's daughter, Katherine Marie Shanahan, or Katie as Jack called her, born at 01:07 on July 8, 2004.

Janet had delivered the baby with two of her best nurses in attendance, as Jack, Daniel and Teal'c waited impatiently in the infirmary for the news. Knowing they'd be waiting on pins and needles, Janet made a quick trip to tell the three that Sam's daughter had been born. Daniel looked quite pale but soon color filled his cheeks as he gave Jack an enthusastic slap on the back. Jack gave him a cautious look but said nothing.

"A daughter! That's great news, Janet," Daniel shouted.

"Indeed," Teal'c intoned in his usual stoic manner.

While Jack didn't say anything else, he did ask a question that didn't surprise the insightful doctor.

"Janet, can I see her?"

"If you mean Sam, then the answer is 'no, not yet.' However the baby is ready for visitors, and you can go and see her now.

"What's wrong with Sam," Jack demanded to know, as he came to stand in front of the petite woman in a menacing manner. With his feet slightly apart and his fists clinched tightly at his sides, he looked about ready to throttle someone. Janet knew he'd never hurt her, but never the less, his posture did scare her a bit.

"Nothing's wrong with her, General. I had to perform an episiotomy. She'll be ready for visitors in about twenty minutes...after she's stitched and cleaned up," she assured him.

"An episi-what?"

"Episiotomy, Jack. It's when they cut the perineum to allow more room for the baby to come out," Daniel informed him.

"So she's okay then?"

Jack had relaxed his hands and was now looking less like an avenging angel and more like a concerned god...and a mighty sexy one at that, Janet thought.

"Yes, she's fine, General," Janet assured him, taking the opportunity to reach out and briefly touch Jack's hand. "Now come along and see the baby."

As they walked down the hallway to the private rooms that Sam would be using for the delivery and convalescence, Janet filled them in on the baby's name.

"Sam had decided to name her Katherine after her mother. Her middle name is Marie after Sam's grandmother."

Teal'c nodded his approval of the baby's name. Daniel's face beamed with his excitement, while Jack had a kind of confused expression on his face...which for him wasn't that uncommon.

"And here she is," Janet enthused as she opened the door and they saw a nurse holding the infant.

"Would you like to hold her, General O'Neill," the nurse asked and Jack opened his arms without hesitation, his look of concern morphing into one of awe. When the nurse put Katie into his arms, he smiled down at her and watched as her dark blue eyes tried to stay open against the bright ceiling lights.

"I think the lights are too bright in here for her," he said with concern, and Daniel rushed over and turned on the small bedside lamp before turning off the ceiling fixture.

"That's better, isn't it, Katie?"

The baby took Jack's finger in her tiny fist and pulled it toward her mouth. Then she began to fuss, screwing up her tiny face as though complaining about something.

"I think she's hungry, Jack," Daniel observed.

"Indeed, she does seem to be seeking nourishment," Teal'c observed.

The nurse, who had been lurking in the background, told them she'd go see if Col. Carter was ready yet. She left Jack, Tea'c and Daniel alone with Katie, and Jack went to sit in the only chair in the room.

"Can I hold her, Jack," Daniel asked. Jack reluctantly got up and offered Daniel the chair. As soon as he sat down in it, Jack gently placed the infant on Daniel's arm. Teal'c stood next to him, silently watching as Daniel tried to soothe the infant, who was beginning to cry.

"Remember to always support her head, Daniel," Jack instructed him and Daniel made a face at him.

"I know how to hold a baby, Jack. After all, I've delivered three!"

Just then Katie's patience ran out and she began to wail loudly. Daniel did his best to try and soothe her, but she just kept crying...much louder than any of them thought possible for such a tiny thing. Even Teal'c glanced down at the baby with a look of consternation.

"Daniel, give her your finger to suck," Jack told him, hovering over Daniel as he rocked his arm back and forth.

"My finger's not that clean, Jack."

"Ah, here comes Mommy," Daniel said with obvious relief as Sam was wheeled into the room on a gurney. The men watched as the nurses and Janet helped Sam move from the gurney to the bed. The baby was still wailing, and Daniel was beginning to look very upset as well.

Jack bent down and picked up the crying infant and brought her to Sam's side. The nurse elevated the head of the bed, and Jack put Katie in Sam's arms. Jack could see the anxiety and fear in Sam's pale face.

"It's okay, Sam, you'll do just fine," he assured her in a quiet voice as he slid his hand from under the tiny bundle. He brushed his fingers over Sam's arm in a brief caress as he did so, sending her a private message that all would be well.

She understood the message, but Sam wasn't so sure she believed it. She had held her little daughter for just a minute in the delivery room, but now she responsible for feeding and caring for her full time! And Sam suddenly felt unready for this daunting responsibility. But like the good soldier she was, she didn't vocalize her fears and instead tried to put on a brave face.

"Okay, Sam, let's see if Katie's hungry," Janet said, and Daniel shot up out of the chair and almost ran out the door when he saw Sam begin to lower her gown off one shoulder. Teal'c followed him, but he walked out slowly with his head held high, his hands clasped behind his back.

But Jack just stood his ground for a beat, before a glimpse of one plump breast caught his eye and made him turn tail and run. He quickly mumbled an excuse and walked out.

Janet stifled a laugh at Jack's fast exit as she watched Sam place the baby awkwardly at her breast. Clearly Katie knew what to do, even if Sam didn't, because she immediately wrapped her tiny lips about Sam's nipple and began to suck noisily.

"See, she knows what they're for," Janet quipped, thinking she was certain that Jack had some ideas of his own regarding Sam's breasts, and they didn't involve nursing a baby.

And even though Janet's military mind kept telling her that Sam and Jack had to stay away from one another sexually, another part of her thought that they should just take the risk and go for it! After all, a love like theirs, that had already endured the test of time, didn't come along every day or even every millennia!

After going crazy in the plain, gray room and gray hallways of the SGC for three days, Sam was ready to go home. Jack had arrived at the pre-determined time to take Katie home to the room they had prepared for her. So after Janet, Teal'c and a few of the SGC staff bid them adieu, Jack and Daniel escorted them topside to Sam's car. Jack walked with one arm protectively around Sam who was carrying the baby. And Daniel led the way, diaper bag, suitcase and car keys in hand.

Jack had decided the car would be easier for Sam to get into, plus the infant seat was already strapped solidly in the back seat. He'd find a way back to the base to get his truck later, or have Teal'c and Daniel bring it by. It really didn't matter to him right now, because all he had on his mind were Sam and Katie and getting them settled at home.

With the baby settled in her infant seat and Sam strapped safely in the front seat next to Jack, Daniel waved good-bye and they were on their way.

Jack was reminded of the day he and Sara had taken Charlie home from the hospital, and his expression must have given his thoughts away. Sam noticed his silence too, and she couldn't help but comment on his mood.

"I'm sorry, General. This must bring back some painful memories for you," she said quietly.

"Painful ones but good ones too, Sam. And don't be sorry. I wouldn't have missed this for the world," he told her as he turned his head to give her a geniuinely happy smile...the type of smile that she was beginning to see on his face more and more lately.

He had seemed happier in the past few weeks than she'd ever seen him, and she knew deep down inside that she was the reason for this. But that didn't make her feel much better; because she worried that at any moment someone could bring charges against them both for how things appeared; even if they had had no sexual contact, they had grown way closer than was permitted by the regs.

After leaving Katie asleep in her new bed, Sam came out to the kitchen to find Jack humming to a tune on the radio as he prepared lunch for both of them.

"Wow! A cook band/b musical entertainment! A girl could get used to this kind of pampering. But you know I am quite capable of making my own lunch, General," she said as he pulled out a chair for her.

"Janet said you were to get a lot of rest, so I am not leaving here for a while. I've got Rogers covering my ass at the SGC, so I'm all yours for another day or two...just till you get into a routine with Katie," he informed her.

"I'm not sure that will ever happen," she told him gloomily. She had been up at all hours of the night feeding her, and right now she felt exhausted and wrung out.

"Of course it will! It just takes time, Sam. You're still new at this motherhood thing. Give it time! Hell, you're Sam Carter! There isn't anything you can't do," he stated positively as he placed a plate in front of her.

Sam smirked at his optimism, wishing that just for once she could be plain old Sam Carter the woman and not some kind of personification of Wonder Woman the comic book hero!

Jack and Sam sat quietly, eating the turkey sandwiches he had made for them. Jack had begun to think that the time might be right for him to tell Sam about Ashley, who was still living in his house. But just as he was about to open that can of worms, his cell phone rang. After looking at the caller id, he knew he had to answer it.

"Yes, Rogers, what is it?" Jack listened for a minute and then grunted a single word.

"Coming."

"What's wrong, General," Sam asked, seeing the worried look on his face.

"Oh, apparently one of the geeks on SG-12 got into a heated argument with the leaders of P2X-131, and now they're threatening to end negotiations with us. I've gotta go, Sam," he told her with regret. "But I'll be back as soon as I can," he assured her.

"It's okay, General," she told him, but she really didn't feel all that okay about being left alone with a tiny baby...a baby who had just decided to let loose with a wail that sounded much louder than anything that small could possibly make.

"Oh, oh, someone's awake," he said looking toward the baby's room.

"I'll take care of her," she assured him, putting on a brave face as she rose slowly from the table.

"Okay, then. I'll see you soon!" Jack started out of the house, but came back to grab Sam's car keys from the kitchen counter, as he remembered that her car was his only mode of transportation. He really didn't want to leave her and Katie alone, but he had no choice at the moment.

"I'll be right back," he yelled as he rushed out the front door.

"Okay," she said uncertainly as she started toward Katie's room.

'It's okay, Sam,' she told herself. 'You can do this!'

Three hours later Jack arrived back at Sam's house in his truck, with Teal'c following in Sam's car, and Daniel following him in his own. After thanking the guys for their help, Jack went inside. The house was quiet, and he didn't see Sam in the living room or the kitchen. So he quietly walked down the hallway to Katie's room. The door was open wide, but Katie was not in her bed.

Then he stepped across the hall and pushed open the door to Sam's bedroom. There in her big bed were Sam and Katie, and they were both sound asleep, the infant laying with her face next to Sam's bare breast. Obviously they had fallen asleep while Katie was nursing.

Jack went over to the side of the bed and scooped Katie into his arms, taking her to her own bed. He looked down at the sleeping infant and smiled as her tiny mouth moved in memory of the nipple that was no longer there. After laying her on her back and covering her with a light blanket, he went back to Sam's room.

She hadn't moved up when he'd taken Katie, and she still appeared to be asleep. Jack couldn't help himself; he stood there for several minutes taking in her beauty as she slept.  
>He knew it was wrong of him, but he couldn't stop staring at her creamy skin...the dark pink of her nipple and the surrounding tissue a stark contrast to her otherwise pale flesh.<p>

Shaking himself from his voyeuristic pleasure, he drew the blanket up over Sam, covering her exposed breast. He could have stood there for the rest of his life, just watching her sleep, but he was aware that she could awaken suddenly and find him there. And then he would have been embarrassed at his weakness and his obvious aroused state.

He decided to go clean up the kitchen and start preparing the pot roast he had planned for their dinner.

Sam hadn't been asleep when Jack took Katie, or when he stood staring down at her. She had been awake but unwilling to break the spell that she apparently had over him. Sam knew that if she had opened her eyes, he would have run away, just like he had that day in her room at the SGC. And even though she still felt guilty for wanting him when she was supposed to be mourning the loss of her husband, she couldn't help the way she felt.

She also knew it was a risky game that she played, using his emotions to feed a need in her life. But possessing such a strong effect on Jack made her feel powerful and very feminine and way more confident than she felt when she was changing a diaper or nursing her baby daughter. And right now Sam needed all the confidence she could find!

Gradually as she heard the faint sounds of Jack working in the kitchen, she relaxed and went to sleep, dreaming of how things might have been if she had married Jack instead of Pete.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

When Sam woke up two hours later feeling refreshed and invigorated, she decided it was time she began taking better care of her appearance. She realized the handsome man, who was currently sitting in her living room watching TV with the volume turned way down, was the determining factor. She looked down at her frumpy, pajama-clad body and ran a hand through her mussed, dirty hair and knew she had to do something about how she looked before Jack saw her again!

After taking a shower and washing her hair, Sam put on a clean pair of old blue jeans, which she was relieved to find almost snapped at the waist. A light-weight, gauzy blouse that hung over the waist band of the jeans worked well at disguising her slight tummy bulge, and a pair of white sandals completed the outfit. Then she blow dried her hair, fluffing it out in the back before she applied just a smidgen of pink lip gloss to her full lips and a modicum of pink rouge to her pale cheeks.

Sam never wore foundation, and she was grateful that pregnancy had not given her the blemishes or dark spots that some women got on their faces. She also had been lucky to not have even one stretch mark on her stomach or breasts, a thought that had suddenly occurred to her as she dressed. If Jack ever saw her naked, she wanted to look her best, she thought, and then she quickly vanquished such thoughts, as she reminded herself that their relationship would probably never involve nudity...at least not as long as they were both assigned to the SGC.

Shaking the tormenting thoughts out of her mind, Sam tiptoed into Katie's room and was relieved to see the baby was sleeping peacefully. Then she went to the living room and stood in the doorway watching Jack, who's back was to her. But, like the seasoned soldier that he was, he sensed her presence and turned his head, giving her one of his treasured smiles.

"Hey, Sam! Feeling better?"

"Yeah, I feel great!" She came and sat down on the opposite end of the sofa.

"You look great too! No one would ever know you just had a baby," he told her, honestly amazed at how good she looked.

Of course he thought she always looked great, even when she probably didn't think so. Over the years he had seen her in just about any circumstance, and to him she was always beautiful. If only he had a right to tell her, he thought wistfully.

Sam was at a loss for words, so she just gave him one of her mega-watt smiles, and that was more than enough for Jack. He studied her face in profile as she looked at the television, and he figured he had better tell her about Ashley now...before she heard about her from Daniel.

"Sam, I've been wanting to tell you Daniel's news. He found someone to catalogue his collection...the one he keeps at his apartment. Actually it was my idea. She's going to be living there for a while, until she gets back on her feet."

Sam looked over at him curiously, but she didn't say anything so he continued, digging the hole, in which he was trapping himself, a little deeper.

"Ashley's the daughter of a friend of mine. She's a college student, and she's studying sociology and anthropology, so the work will be good experience for her. Plus she can use the money. She's trying to save up to pay for next semester."

"A friend of yours? Who is it? I don't think you've ever mentioned a friend who has a daughter that age," she told him, pulling her feet up under her as she turned to face him.

"Ya, well he's an old, old friend from my black ops days. I don't talk about our history...for obvious reasons, and I haven't seen him in quite a while. Ashley called me recently...out of the blue... and I've been trying to help her out. She's at my place right now, but she's moving to Daniel's tomorrow. In fact, I promised to help her move."

By now his heart was pounding out a rhythm in his head that shouted, "Liar, liar, liar, liar!" Jack worried that Sam could read his mind through the window of his eyes, and so he looked back at the tv and held his breath, waiting for her response. When it came, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was nice of you...and of Daniel. I'd like to meet her some time. Why don't you bring her over to see Katie," she suggested. "And Daniel should come too. We can all have dinner together."

"Oh, I don't know...she's gonna be really busy working at Daniel's...and studying. But I'll tell her you suggested it," he said, and then he jumped up and headed for the small kitchen area behind them. " I think dinner's about ready. You hungry?"

"Yes, actually I'm starving! Janet said I might need to eat more while I'm breast feeding, and I think she's right."

Jack tried to concentrate on the task at hand, stirring the roux into the pot of beef juice to make the gravy that would complete the meal. But no matter how hard he tried, memories of seeing Sam's naked breast repeatedly rippled across his mind, like the shock waves on the surface of a pond after a rock has been thrown into the water.

Eventually Jack got the dinner onto their plates, setting them on the small dining table by the window. He poured Sam a glass of milk and got a beer out of the refrigerator for himself.

"Okay! Let's eat," he called out, and Sam grinned, as she was reminded of her father when she was a little girl.

Jacob Carter had always began a meal with those very same words. She wondered what her dad was doing right now, and if he was at all curious about his granddaughter, but she quickly pushed the unpleasant thoughts out of her mind.

'If Dad wants to see her, he knows where I live,' she said sternly. After Katie was born she had phoned him. He and her step-mother were out, so she had left a message with his housekeeper. So far he hadn't even called.

Jack had noticed the sad look on Sam's face when she sat down at the table. He hoped it wasn't a reflection on anything he had done or said. They ate in silence for a while, each consumed by their own thoughts. But finally he needed to ask her why she looked so down.

"Sam, is everything okay?"

"Yes, it's just that...I haven't heard from Dad yet. I'm sure he's just busy, but it still hurts," she admitted.

That she could admit as much to Jack was something kind of new for her. In the past she had always tried to hide things like disappointment and her feelings of inadequacy from him, but lately...not only was she opening up to him more, but she felt he was able to sense her feelings more and more as time went by.

"You want me to call him?"

"No! No, thank you. He'll get in touch eventually. I'm not about to beg for his attention. So please, Jack...Sir...don't."

"Okay. I just wanna help...in whatever way I can, Sam," he told her honestly and she smiled at him...not the mega-watt smile that he loved so much, but a warm smile none the less. It made his heart skip a beat, and he found it hard to take his eyes off her.

Sam found herself staring into his chocolate gaze, lost in the dark, liquid pools that enveloped her and made her feel safe...and something else...loved. And she felt compelled to do something to show him that she returned the feeling...some little thing.

"This dinner is awesome, Jack," she told him, and this time he noticed that she didn't correct how she addressed him. His first name on her lips was almost as good as if she had told him she loved him. After a few seconds they both looked away simultaneously, and the spell was broken.

Later that evening Sam was in the kitchen washing out one of the bottles she used for Katie's water, when Jack's cell phone rang. Thinking it might be important, and knowing that Jack was currently out in the garage adding some oil to her old Volvo, Sam picked up the phone and flipped it open.

She recognized Daniel's home phone number. She thought it was odd that he was at his apartment instead of at the SGC, and she wondered if something was wrong.

"Hello?"

"Hi! Who's this," asked a young, female voice.

Sam's forehead lined in a frown upon hearing an unfamiliar voice apparently coming from Daniel's apartment.

"Who is this," Sam asked in return.

"This is Ashley. I'm looking for Jack O'Neill," she said pleasantly.

"Ashley? Oh, yes, Jack mentioned you! You're the girl who's going to be working for Daniel. Jack can't come to the phone at the moment. May I take a message?"

Rather than go get Jack, Sam decided to talk the girl herself. Her curiosity had been aroused, and now she wanted to find out more about this young woman who was suddenly a part of Jack and Daniel's lives.

"I guess so. Is this Sam?"

"Yes, it is."

"Sam, could you please tell Jack that I have to go out for a while?"

"Ah...sure, I can do that," Sam answered, but she was very confused. Why did this young woman need to tell Jack that she was going out?

"Okay. Well, buy! Oh, and congratulations on your daughter," she said quickly, hanging up before Sam had a chance to ask her anything.

Sam was still staring at the little phone when Jack came walking into the house, wiping his hands on an old rag. He immediately saw his cell phone in her hand and suspected he'd gotten a call. And by the look on Sam's face, he thought it must have been urgent.

"Did I get a call from the SGC?"

"No, Jack. It was a call from Ashley...at Daniel's apartment!"

"Ashley's at Daniel's apartment?"

He grabbed his cell phone out of her hand and quickly pressed the speed dial number to Daniel's cell phone.

"Daniel? What's up? I thought I was moving Ashley's stuff to your place tomorrow?"

In truth he wanted to ask how in the hell Daniel had gotten in touch with Ashley or vice versa, but he couldn't ask too many questions in front of Sam, who was standing at his elbow and hanging on his every word.

"You did say that, Jack. But when she phoned here, Walter said some young lady was looking for you and did I know where you were. Of course I did know where you are, but I didn't think you wanted him to know. You know what a little snitch he is."

"Anyway, I thought it might be Ashley, so I took the call. And since I knew how busy you were going to be with Sam and Katie, I volunteered to help her move her stuff to my place. She's all moved in. She's very nice, by the way, and gorgeous too! Say, do you think your friend...her father that is...would mind if his daughter dated an older man?"

Jack suddenly had a coughing fit as he recalled he and Ashley humping like bunnies in her bed just a few weeks ago.

"Why Daniel?"

"'Cause I would like to ask her out, that's why, Jack."

"I see. Well, I'll have to ask my friend about that. He's pretty strict, you know, him being military and all," Jack explained.

"What branch of the military did you say he's in?"

"WAS in, Daniel. But he retired some time ago," Jack lied, knowing full well that Ashley's father was a drunk living in Athens, Georgia who had never served one day in the military. He glanced at Sam out of the corner of his eye and saw that she was drying some baby bottles with a dish towel. But for some reason...could it have been his own guilt?... he was certain she was paying even more attention to his phone call!

"I see. Well, if you think he wouldn't approve, I certainly wouldn't want to cause any problems between the two of you."

"Ya, I think that would be best, Daniel. Thanks."

"Okay, then. Is there anything else, Jack?"

"No, as long as she got settled in okay, I guess not," Jack said and hung up.

Sam was openly studying his face, which looked both relieved and confused at the same time. But suddenly she remembered Ashley's curious message for Jack.

"Oh, I almost forgot! Ashley said to tell you she had to go out for a while," Sam told him, and she watched as Jack's face quickly contorted into a look of anger.

"Jesus Christ! Did she say where she was going," Jack yelled at her, and Sam almost jumped back at the force of his voice.

"No, Jack, she didn't. Is something wrong? Why did she have to phone you and tell you that she was going out? Jack, I get the feeling you and Daniel are hiding something from me, and I want to know what it is!"

And Jack suddenly heard the other shoe dropping...or maybe it was it the shit hitting the fan.

"I'll explain later! I've got to go," he yelled as he literally ran out the door and jumped in his truck, gunning the engine the second the tires hit the street. She saw the break lights flash on and off, as he corrected his direction and then he was gone.

"Jack O'Neill, when you get back here, you are going to explain yourself to me, or I will know the reason why," Sam exclaimed angrily to the four walls, and suddenly there was the faint sound of a baby crying. "Damn it, now see what you've done!"

When Jack got to Daniel's apartment, Ashley was just getting out of her car, which was parked under a street lamp near the front door of the posh, high-rise. Jack jumped out of his truck and ran up to her, grabbing her arm.

"Hey! Jack, what on earth!" Ashley tried to pull her arm away, but Jack wasn't letting go. He steered her inside the apartment house foyer, thankful that there was no one in the lobby to hear what he was going to say to her.

"Ashley, what am I going to have to say to you, to make you understand that you can't go out by yourself! Particularly after dark! It's just too dangerous!"

"Jack, you're hurting me," she yelled, pulling hard to free her arm from his relentless grip. And suddenly her words filtered through his anger to his brain, and he realized that he was probably bruising her.

"God, I'm sorry, honey," he said, pulling her into an embrace, as he massaged her arm with his palm.

Jack was quickly becoming aroused, as his libido registered that there was a lovely body in his arms that was melting against him and demanding attention. He held her tight as she released her hold on the packages she'd been carrying, letting the shopping bags drop to the floor with a thump and rustle of tissue paper. Her arms came up around his neck, and she tilted her face toward his. Their lips met and Ashley moaned, opening her mouth to Jack's torturous tongue...the kind of torture she had been missing for the past few weeks.

The sound of the elevator bell warned them of someone approaching, and they quickly separated. Jack bent down and picked up her packages. An elderly couple stepped out of the elevator and gave them a dirty look, which both Jack and Ashley ignored. They got into the elevator car and Jack pressed the number nine. Neither one spoke until they got inside Daniel's apartment.

Jack put the bags on the floor beside the hall table, and Ashley set her purse down. She didn't look at him, and Jack suspected she was angry at him for causing her both physical and mental pain. Jack felt like an asshole.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, I shouldn't have reacted like that. You know I was just worried about you, don't you," Jack asked her as he pulled her into his arms again. But he was embarrassed by his growing desire for her, so he loosened his hold on her and stepped back a little, holding her at arm's length.

"Yes, Jack I know that. And I'm sorry I went out alone. But I can't stay locked up here all the time! Sometimes I feel like you're keeping me locked up...not to protect me...but to protect yourself," she told him, pulling away from him.

She turned her back on him and began to walk into the living room, but Jack followed her, an angry look on his face. But he didn't touch her...he didn't dare or else his touch would burn her...just like his passion was burning his soul. He wasn't angry at her, but at himself, and she knew it.

"What the hell are you talking about," he almost shouted at her, his fists balled up tightly to prevent himself from grabbing her again. But deep down inside he knew exactly what she meant.

"I think you know what I mean, Jack. I see how you look at me...I can feel how much you want me, Jack. Yet, you say you're in love with Sam. You can't have both of us, Jack," she told him, and Jack's emotions got the best of him.

"Damn it, don't you think I know that," he yelled, his face turning a dark shade of red, the veins swelling in his neck. "I do want you, and I want Sam too, but I can't ever have her the way that I can have you," he admitted, hanging his head, as tears of remorse and sorrow began to slide down his cheeks. He'd never cried in front of anyone before, not even Sara.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice choked with emotion, and Ashley put her hand on his head and pulled him down until his face rested against her head. He stayed there, bent over her petite form for a few seconds before he pulled back and tugged his T-shirt up to wipe away his tears. In doing so, he turned his back on her, suddenly ashamed of showing weakness, even to her.

"I don't understand, Jack. Why can't you have Sam? Her husband's dead now, so if she loves you, what's keeping the two of you apart?"

"It's the military regulations. I'm her CO. We're not permitted to have an intimate relationship. If we do and we get caught, we would both lose our ranks and get kicked out of the military...no pensions...nothing...even after all the years we've put in," he explained.

"Gee, Jack, that's really harsh! I'm sorry, I didn't know that."

"Well, now you do," he said as he turned back to her.

"Yes, now I do. And now I have to decide what to do about you," she said as she kicked off her high-heeled sandals.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," she said, stepping up to him and putting both arms around his neck as she leaned her soft, young body against his hardened, older one. The top of her head didn't even reach his shoulder when she was barefooted, as she now was. "...do I kick you out, or do I let you use me as a substitute for the woman you love?"

"I guess you think I'm an asshole, huh?"

"Yes, in a way, but a very sexy, hot asshole," she told him right before she pulled him down for a long, passionate kiss...one that made their legs feel weak. They broke for a breath of air, and dropped to their knees on the thick, plush carpet.

"I think I'll have to think on this problem for a while longer," she said, and then he began to make passionate love to her...right there on the living room floor of Daniel Jackson's apartment.

Ninety-five minutes later Jack was back at Sam's house, feeling every bit the asshole he knew he really was. Besides forming an unsavory opinion of himself, Jack had come to another conclusion that day; he had to get over Sam, and he had to allow her the space she needed in order to get on with her life. She wasn't his and neither was Katie, and no matter how much it hurt him, he had to let them go.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Jack spent a restless night in Sam's guest room, tossing and turning as he tried to figure out how to sever the close ties he had established with the woman and child sleeping down the hall.

There was no easy way to do it, was the only conclusion he had come to by morning, and now, as he sat at the breakfast table he felt and looked every one of his fifty-something years. He was tired...he was mentally exhausted...and he needed help.

"Daniel, I want you to pack up some clothes and your shaving kit. You're coming over here to stay with Carter for a while," Jack informed the half-awake man by phone, at the crack of dawn.

"What! Jack, what are you... No, I can't," Daniel croaked, his throat feeling as though it was on fire.

"God, Daniel, you sound worse than I feel. What's up?"

"I think I'm coming down with something, Jack," he sniffed, "and now is no time for me to be around a baby. You'll have to find someone else. But wait! What's wrong? Why can't you just stay there with Sam and Katie," Daniel asked, his brain finally catching up with his mouth.

"It's what we talked about, Daniel." The silence hung over Jack's head like a hammer about to fall. He always hated admitting he was wrong, specially to Daniel, but he knew he had no choice.

"You were right, Daniel; I can't do this anymore. It's not fair to Carter, and I'm just not strong enough," he said, letting Daniel make of that last part what he would.

"Ah...I see. I think. Jack, why don't you call Janet. I'm sure she'd love to help," Daniel said before sneezing into the phone.

"Bless you! Ya, okay. Sorry, if I woke you and sorry you're sick," Jack said before hanging up.

He hadn't heard or seen Sam walk into the kitchen until he snapped his cell phone shut. When he looked up, there she was, dressed in a filmy, white negligee and looking like an angel...or maybe the devil in disguise. Would his resolve melt in the face of such a vision?

"Sam! I didn't know you were up!" And boy, talk about being up...his nether regions suddenly showed signs of being less tired than the rest of him. Jack squirmed on the chair, trying to get comfortable.

"So... How'd your night go?" he asked, trying to sound casual, though all the while his eyes were taking in her form through that thin, semi-transparent material. Surely she knew what she was doing to him, the witch!

"It was great! Katie only woke up once during the night. She managed to nurse for a longer period of time, and I think she finally had a full enough tummy to last the night."

"Good!" he enthused, as visions of Sam's perfect breasts, nipples taut and dripping, filled his jaded mind. He hadn't slept a wink, but even so his libido was pressing him to get up and go to her...and bend her over the counter and...

Jack stood up, shoving his chair back with his legs as she turned around, a cup of coffee held between her delicate fingers. He just stood there staring at her, and Sam got goose bumps from the intensity of his gaze.

"Jack, are you okay?" She thought he looked almost feverish.

"No, I'm not...to tell you the truth, I'm tired...I'm exhausted from trying to figure out what to do about us," he admitted, and Sam almost dropped her coffee cup. With trembling hands she set it down on the counter next to her and walked toward him, taking slow, precise steps until she was standing within mere inches of him.

If passion burned like a flame, then Sam thought she could feel the fire from Jack's body scorching her soul.

"I'm sorry, Jack. Didn't you sleep well?"

She reached up and touched his cheek with her cool fingers, and Jack just about blew right there. Then his pesky brain reminded him of his vow to let her go, and Jack backed up suddenly, his leg hitting the table and causing him to stumble slightly.

"No! I didn't sleep at all, Sam. I can't sleep here...with you...in the same house!" he shouted at her before falling back into the chair he had recently vacated. He had intended to leave the room...to run from the house...but Sam was there blocking his path.

"Jack," she said, her voice just a whisper as she walked up to him and turned sideways to sit across his thighs. His arms just naturally came up around her waist, and now he had a lap full of Sam Carter, and he feared he was going to embarrass himself right there in her kitchen.

"Sam," he croaked in return, almost unable to speak, let alone form a coherent sentence.

"Jack, kiss me," she ordered, and Jack, who had always been pretty good at taking orders...when they suited his purpose...took this order and ran with it, kissing her like she'd never been kissed before. After two full minutes of exploring each other's mouths, the two came up for air, and Jack was still only capable of saying one word.

"Sweet," he said.

"Yes it was," she agreed. "Now, I know there are some things I can't do yet, but will you come to bed with me and let me take care of you," she asked him as she drew circles with her index finger on his white T-shirt-covered chest. She was also rocking her hips as she pressed her weight down on his erection.

Yes, he was positive of it now, the little witch knew exactly what she was doing to him!

"Ya, I guess I could... No! Sam, we can't!"

"Yes, we can," she said. "We can because, as of midnight last night I am no longer under your command, General."

"Wha...?" And now Jack couldn't even form one single, solitary word!

"Wha? Jack, you're beginning to sound like Katie," she said, giggling. "I resigned from the Air Force, Jack, so I could do this," *kiss* "and this." *kiss* "Now, come on and let me take care of your little...oops, correction! Your BIG problem!"

"But Sam, you love the Air Force!"

"But I love YOU even more! Now come on, mister, before Katie wakes up again!"

As though in some kind of weird alien-induced trance, Jack let Sam lead him by the hand, down the hall to her bedroom. Once there he stood like a stone statue while Sam undressed him. First she removed his T-shirt, slowly working it up over his chest, which she plied with kisses, before pulling it up over his hair. He automatically ran his hand over his hair, trying to make it lie down.

"Don't. I like it all spiky like that. Makes you look hot," she told him, before her lips descended on one of his brown, button nipples. She sucked it into her warm, wet mouth and then blew her hot breath over it.

Jack coughed and then shivered, as Sam moved to the other nipple, giving it the same treatment. He had never had a woman make love to him before. Generally he was the instigator and the one who commanded all his forays, including those of a sexual nature. But he was enjoying himself immensely, not to mention the fact that he was still in shock over her announcement. He still couldn't believe she had actually resigned her commission just to be with him!

"Sam, did you really resign?" he asked her, feeling like he was living in a dream.

She nodded and hummed her answer, the vibrations tickling his stomach as she kissed her way further down his body.

When she got to the waist band of his sweats, she stopped and straightened up.

"Kiss me, Jack," she ordered him again, and he did, but this time he began to take control, sending his tongue dueling and dancing with hers as their passion rose. She pulled away long enough to bark orders at him.

"Take these off, Jack. I want to see you...taste you," she said, and Jack slipped his sweat pants down off his narrow hips and let them fall around his ankles. Sam gave him a little push, and he landed on his butt on the bed. He kicked off his trousers, and quickly slipped out of his shorts. Then she pushed back on his chest and watched as he crawled backward on the bed, his more-than-average-sized erection bobbing against his belly.

Sam stood beside the bed and watched him. And when he was comfortably leaning back against the pillows, she removed the gossamer robe and dropped it on a nearby chair. Now she was dressed in only the night gown, which was sleeveless and had a deep v-neckline, revealing several inches of full, firm breast.

Jack reached a hand out to her and waited for her to climb onto the bed. But first she did something unexpected. She pulled the gown up over her head and tossed it back onto the chair. And now she was dressed in only a modest pair of white, nylon panties.

Jack knew it would be weeks before he could really make love to her, but at least he could see her like this, and it made his heart happy that she wanted to do this for him. Her belly was not entirely flat, but she still was a really fine looking, younger woman with full breasts and narrow hips and skin that looked like vanilla ice cream, and Jack felt honored that she wanted someone as old and scarred as him.

Sam laid down in Jack's arms and slowly drew circles on his chest and abdomen with just the tips of her fingers, watching as his penis bounced and twitched.

"I'm sorry I'm so fat, Jack. I always wanted to look nice for you...for our first time together," she whispered shyly.

Jack hugged her to him and kissed her forehead.

"Don't be silly! You look wonderful, Sam! I can't imagine a more beautiful sight than a woman who's just given birth to a baby...with the exception, of course, of one who's carrying a baby. ...her lover's baby. As soon as you're able, I want you to have my baby, Sam."

"Yes! I want that too!"

"Touch me, Sam," Jack hissed, barely able to speak, he was so overcome by emotion.

Sam ran her hand down over his shaft, slowly feeling every little bump, every vein. Her eyes and hands memorized the shape, the length and the thickness, the smooth velvety feel of the crown, all purple and throbbing. She wrapped one hand around him tighter as she pretended she was taking him inside her body. Her hand slid up and down on him, building up a friction and a rhythm, but it was not enough for either of them.

"Let me put it between your legs. I won't penetrate you. I just want to feel you," he begged, as he pushed Sam onto her back. "Take your panties off."

"Okay, but I need a towel to put on the bed."

Jack quickly got up and fetched one from the bathroom, placing it on the bed. Sam slipped out of her panties and lay back on the towel, positioning her hips in the center. She opened her thighs to him and Jack pushed his penis between them, stopping just short of entering her.

"Now, close your legs! Close your legs around me, Sam," he told her, and she did.

Supporting his weight above her on both elbows, Jack wrapped his lips around one pink nipple, lapping up the milk as it seeped from her engorged breast. Just as when Katie nursed, she could feel her uterus contracting, and the milk beginning to flow. But when Jack did it, the contractions were much stronger, and they sent frissons of pleasure straight to her brain.

While his hips thrust forward and pulled back, Sam closed her eyes and squeezed her thighs tightly together, feeling his rock-hard erection slide across her clit and between her labia. Sam felt the sensations growing and blossoming from her clit through out her pelvis. She had never imagined a woman could come so soon after childbirth, but she did come, a blaze of love burning in her womb which gradually spread throughout her body.

Jack was amazing! Sam clung to this wonderfully sensitive man, her arms around his neck, her face buried in his hair as he continued to thrust between her legs, drawing out her pleasure and strengthening his own. Then all of sudden she felt his entire body stiffen and his movements still. Sam could feel his testicles throbbing against her thighs as his essence coursed from his body, wetting her vulva before dripping down between her buttocks and onto the towel.

Sam drew her head back a bit, so she could she his expression. With one final thrust, Jack closed his eyes, a look of pure bliss on his face. Sam lifted one trembling hand and brushed it over his closed eyes, amazed that she'd never noticed how really long his eyelashes were before. He opened his eyes and smiled weakly down at her. Then he dropped his head to her shoulder and groaned, allowing his weight to rest on her for a brief moment before patting her hip.

"Open," he said, and Sam opened her legs to allow him to withdraw his flaccid length. He fell onto his back next to her, and let out a long, satisfied groan.

"Sweeeet," he breathed out.

"I think you said that before, Jack," she giggled. Then she half sat up and looked down at him. "You're a mess, Jack."

"Nah, it's okay."

Sam sat up and reached down for her panties, pulling them on before standing up. Then she folded up the towel and took it into the bathroom. She came back with a warm, wet washcloth which she used to carefully clean Jack's penis of her blood.

Like most men, he really didn't like being touched down there so soon after an orgasm, but he let Sam clean him up without even one complaint.

"There! All clean," she said, before bending down to kiss his flaccid shaft.

"You keep that up, and you'll be washing me all night," he joked as he wagged his eyebrows suggestively, and Sam was quick to respond in kind.

"You keep that up, and I'll WANT to be washing it all night!"

They both laughed as Jack pulled her into his arms. He took the wet, soiled wash cloth from her hand and threw it toward the bathroom doorway where it hit the bedroom wall with a splat.

"Hey, if you're going to live here, you're gonna have to have better manners," she said with mock indignation.

"Live here? Me? You want me to live here in..."

He had started to say 'Pete's house' but he stopped himself just in time. However, Sam seemed to know exactly what he was about to say.

"No, I guess that isn't such a good idea," she admitted somewhat reluctantly.

"But you and Katie can come and live with me," Jack suggested, and then he held his breath. Would she want to leave her big, beautiful house and come and live in his much smaller one?

"We would love to come and live in your house, Jack! I've always loved your house," she admitted, recalling how many times she had daydreamed about the two of them sitting together on the back deck or up on the roof on a clear night, looking at the stars.

A big part of her still couldn't believe that this was not some sort of dream. They were really here like this! And they were about to begin their life together!

"Then let's do it! I'll help you move this weekend!"

"Whoa, Jack. I'm really not up to that much work yet," she reminded him, and he looked a bit disappointed, but he kissed her forehead and sighed, trying to reign in the reckless part of him that always did things quickly...without much forethought.

"I'm sorry; I forgot. We'll do it as soon as you are up to it," he said, kissing her lips when she tilted her head back to look at him.

"Yes...soon," she said, as she began to feel sleepy and safe, nestled in Jack's arms. "Until then, do you think you'll be able to sleep now?"

"Yes, if I stay right here in your bed," he told her honestly. And even though it had been Pete's bed, he fell asleep quite easily with Sam's head tucked under his chin.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen [How appropriate.]

For the next two weeks Jack felt like he was living the best dream ever! He traveled between Sam's house and the base, making occasional trips to his house to check his mail, and the messages on his answering machine.

One thing that had arrived in the mail was the credit card statement for the card he had given Ashley to use.

Ashley had reluctantly agreed to charge her groceries and other things on the credit card he had given her, even though she had some money saved in the bank. She was keeping a record of everything she charged, and she swore that she would pay back every cent back after she graduated. He didn't doubt that she would make an honest effort to pay him back, but he wasn't really all that concerned about it.

He also insisted that she add her earnings from Daniel to her savings account. And he made her promise to not touch the money until she needed to register for classes the second week in August. After much discussion and more promises to repay him one day, she had agreed to follow his orders.

He had decided not to tell her that he was the one who was actually paying her to work for Daniel. In fact, Jack had given him several thousand dollars in advance, so that he could write Ashley a check each week. She never knew that Daniel was not actually paying her. Jack thought that this way she would accept the money. Otherwise she'd insist on paying him back every cent, and that was not what he wanted.

It wasn't that he felt he owed Ashley anything...it was more that he thought she really deserved a helping hand. And since he hardly spent any of the money he earned on himself or anyone else, why shouldn't he help her?

Sara had never taken a cent when they divorced. All she had wanted was out of the marriage. And now she was re-married and had a nice life, or so he'd been told by a mutual friend. He actually hadn't seen Sara in several years, since the incident with the alien at the hospital.

He was sitting on the deck of his house, sorting through the mail, when he came upon a statement from a clinic in the part of Colorado Springs where Ashley used to live. It was addressed to her, in care of him. Jack wondered when...and why... she had gone to a clinic, because as far as he knew, she had not been sick. He decided to open the envelope in case it was a bill that she wouldn't be able to pay.

What he read on the enclosed page made his heart almost stop. And what had started out as a very good day, suddenly became a very bad one.

It was a billing statement, but apparently the balance had already been paid in full on the day of the appointment. Jack read it over again, making sure he understood the medical terms in which it was written. Unless he was mistaken, it said the results of a pregnancy test showed that Ashley was pregnant. And the date of the visit was just eight days ago.

Jack's mind began to spin circles as he thought of all the possibilities. Could she be seeing someone? She hadn't mentioned seeing anyone at all, and as far as he knew, he was the only man she had been with for months.

'Maybe she has been with someone else, Jack. You can't expect a good looking girl like her to be celibate. Besides, every time you and she made love, you used a condom. Didn't you?'

Then he thought about the time she had phoned him. He had gone over there, and that was when she told him about Mike and what he'd tried to do. That had been about six weeks ago. They had both been emotional, and he certainly hadn't planned on having sex with her. But he had. And now Jack wasn't certain whether or not he had used a condom! Holy shit!

Jack opened the folded statement again, re-read it. Just as he thought, it didn't say anything else, like how far along she was.

"Damn it, Jack! If you have gone and gotten the girl pregnant, you have just ruined several lives! Sam will never forgive you! Ashley will probably hate you too!"

Jack opened his cell phone and dialed the number on the statement. He knew they wouldn't give him any personal information about Ashley, but he was curious as to why he'd been sent the statement.

"This is Jack O'Neill. I just got a statement from your office address to Ashley Sinclair. I was just wondering why it was sent to my address, when Ms. Sinclair doesn't live here?"

The person who answered the phone put him on hold for a minute. When she came back, she informed Jack that Ashley had left without her copy of the statement. Ashley had said she was moving, but she didn't have a new address yet.

Of course Jack knew that wasn't true, but he figured she didn't want to give out Daniel's address, in case Mike contacted the clinic while trying to locate her.

The clerk went on to say that several weeks before that, she had left Jack's name and address as a contact in case of an emergency. Jack figured it had been the time she had to have the cut on her arm stitched up...the day that Mike had attacked her.

So rather than hope that the post office would eventually get the statement to her, the clerk had sent it to Jack. The woman apologized, saying she hoped she had not done the wrong thing, and Jack somehow managed to tell her that she had done exactly the correct thing. Then he thanked her for her help and ended the call.

Now there was only one thing to do, and that was to go and talk to Ashley and find out whose baby she was carrying.

Jack arrived at Daniel's building at a little before eleven hundred hours. He had told Sam he was going to his house and that he had to run a few errands, not that he needed to explain where he was. He just felt he needed to be as honest with her as he could be. He prayed that being honest with her would not involve telling her he was about to become a father by his twenty-six-year-old girl friend!

He didn't see Ashley's car in the parking lot, but he was not overly worried. Recently she had begun to go out by herself during the day, and Jack had not thought there was much to worry about concerning her ex-employer. His lawyer friend had found out that the man hadn't been seen around town since he got out of jail, so Jack hoped that he had left town...for good!

Jack decided to go upstairs and wait inside the apartment, figuring that she was probably just at the grocery store. But when he stepped inside, he immediately felt a cold chill run up his spine, as though...like his mother used to say...someone had just walked over his grave.

He quickly shot into the bedroom and yanked open the dresser drawers...ones that he knew she had been using. They were empty! The pink comforter that he had remembered from her townhouse was also gone, as were all her clothes that had been hanging in the closet.

And just as he was about to head out the door, he saw it...a long white envelope laying on the kitchen counter. Jack picked it up and immediately recognize Ashley's creative script. It was addressed to Dr. Daniel Jackson.

"What the hell!" Jack tore open the envelope anyway, wondering why she would leave a message for Daniel and not for him. He slumped onto the bed, removing the single page if typing paper from the envelope. A short letter was scrawled in her handwriting, but it didn't look nearly as neat as the name on the envelope. Clearly she had been upset when she wrote it. Jack read the short letter aloud.

"Dear Daniel,  
>You have been a really good friend, and I want to thank you for allowing me to stay in your apartment and trusting me with your wonderful collection. But some personal matters have come up, and I am needed back home in Georgia.<p>

You will find a list of the completed work on your desk in the living room. I am really very sorry that I won't be able to complete the job for you. I hope you find someone who can.

Thank you for your kindness.

Very sincerely,  
>Ashley Sinclair"<p>

"What the fuck!"

Jack just sat there re-reading the letter over and over again. He couldn't believe she would just leave like this! Had she seemed anxious or any different the last time he'd spoken to her just a week ago? No, he didn't think she had, and yet that was almost the same day that she had found out she was pregnant.

But then Jack thought back to what she had said about not wanting to interfere in his personal life. If the baby was his, she probably thought she was doing the best thing for him by going away!

"Ah, Christ, honey, what have you done?" Jack hung his head and began to cry, the letter falling from his hands and landing at his feet.

He couldn't go back to Sam's...not in the mood he was in right now, so he stayed there for a hour or so until the telephone rang. At first he was going to ignore it, but then he thought 'what if it's Ashley calling!'

Jack jumped up and checked the phone number on the caller id. It was a prefix from out of state which Jack didn't recognize. He picked up the phone, answering it on the third ring.

"Hello!"

"Jack...is that you," asked a small, familiar, female voice.

It was Ashley, and she sounded tiny and frightened and so far away. And Jack's heart skipped a beat or two, he was so happy to hear from her.

"Yes, it's me! Honey, where are you? Why did you leave without telling me?"

"It's my dad. He needed me, so I had to leave, Jack," she lied.

"Ashley, you don't have to lie to me. I got a statement from the clinic in the mail. I know about the baby, honey," he told her, and for several seconds neither of them said anything.

"Don't worry about that, Jack. I'll take care of it," she told him.

"What do you mean 'take care of it?' Ashley, you aren't thinking of doing something stupid, are you," Jack almost shouted into the phone.

"I already did something stupid, Jack. I slept with a man who loves someone else, and I got pregnant! And now I've got to handle it. Don't worry; I won't ever bother you about it. In fact, I called expecting to talk to Daniel. I wanted to ask him to tell you 'good-bye' for me. I was gonna call you, but I just couldn't."

"Ashley, I don't understand what you're saying! Why didn't you tell me you're pregnant? And what do you mean by 'handle it?'"

"Jack, I just mean that I know you love Sam. I know you don't love me, and I accept that. Good-bye, Jack, and have a nice life," she said, and then she hung up.

"NO! Ashley!"

He immediately dialed the number she had called from, but it just rang and rang. After about twenty rings, Jack gave up. He wrote down the phone number on a pink Post It, and stuffed the piece of paper into his pocket.

Jack scrubbed his hands through his hair, leaving it standing up more than usual. He was beside himself with grief and anxiety. What if she aborted the baby! What if she had the baby and gave it away! What if she had the baby and couldn't pay the bills or feed the baby properly! The 'what ifs' kept racing through his mind at lightning speed until he felt dizzy and sick to his stomach. This was a nightmare from which he feared he'd never awaken. And 'bad day' didn't begin to describe how this day was turning out!

He was supposed to go back to the base for a few hours to sign some requisitions, but he didn't feel like it, so he went home. By the time he got there, he was in such a state of agitation that he could barely think straight. Sam knew the minute he walked in the front door of her house, that something was terribly wrong.

She had been packing up the things she was going to put into storage and also pulling out things of Pete's that needed to be donated to charity or sent to his sister in Ohio. When she saw Jack's sullen face, she stopped what she was doing and followed him into the bedroom. He hadn't even answered her greeting of 'hello', and Sam was very concerned about him. She was afraid someone he cared about had died.

"Jack? Jack, what's wrong?"

She went over and sat on the bed next to him, rubbing her hand up and down his back.

He let out a sigh. He knew he couldn't go on lying to her...not now. There was simply too much at stake. He wanted to go and find Ashley and bring her back. But then what? And how could he leave Sam and go off looking for Ashley, without telling her where he was going and why?

He made a decision that he knew he might regret for the rest of his life. But if he didn't get Ashley back, the rest of his life would be a living hell. He looked up at Sam and then dropped his eyes to the floor, unable to look at her.

"Sam, I've got something to tell you that you're not going to like. But I can't live with myself any longer, knowing... It's about Ashley Sinclair. She's not the daughter of a friend of mine. She's someone I met the day you got married. I was hitching a ride, and she picked me up."

"What are you talking about? She picked you up?"

Her face looked confused, and she had a funny sort of smile pulling up the corners of her mouth, as though she thought he was playing some sort of practical joke on her.

"Yes, she picked me up...out on the highway. She drove me home. I... I started seeing her. We became involved. But then I broke it off months ago...before Pete died. I didn't see her or hear from her for a long time...until about six weeks ago."

"She phoned me because her ex-boss had roughed her up. She had fought back and stabbed him. She was afraid he'd come after her when he got out of jail. I let her stay at my place, and then I talked Daniel into letting her work for him, so she could live someplace where the guy wouldn't be able to find her. She also really needed a decent job, so she could save for school."

"That was very nice of you, Jack. I'm sure she appreciated your help," Sam said, choosing her words carefully.

"Ya, she did. But that's not all, Sam. You see...when she called me...the day after that bastard beat her up, I went to her place. She was very upset, and I was angry...so angry at the guy that I wanted to kill him. She calmed me down. And then we...we had sex."

He didn't intend to tell her they'd had sex again just two weeks ago. What good would that do? By the look on Sam's face, he could tell she was angry enough as it was.

"I see," Sam said quietly, but she stood up and began to walk out of the room.

Jack jumped up and reached out to her, but she pulled her arm out of his grip as she spun around to face him, the angry gleam in her eyes like lightning bolts piercing him straight to his soul.

"Wait! Sam, let me finish," he pleaded quietly, barely able to keep eye contact with her.

She stood riveted to the floor as Jack continued his tale.

"I got a receipt in the mail today from the medical clinic where Ashley gets treatment. The bill was for a blood test. It said the test was positive; she's pregnant. When I went to Daniel's a little while ago to confront her, she wasn't there. All her stuff is gone. She left him a note that said she had to leave for personal reasons."

Sam turned again and tried to leave, but again Jack reached out and wrapped a hand gently around her biceps.

"Wait! There's more. While I was at Daniel's, Ashley phoned. She wasn't expecting me to be there, but she spoke to me anyway. She claimed her father needed her, and that she had gone home to help him. When I told her that I knew the truth...that I knew about the baby, she said I shouldn't worry about it. That she'll 'handle it.' Sam, I'm scared to death she'll do something stupid! I have to find her, Sam! I have to, or I don't know how I'll be able to live with myself," he admitted.

"Then go and find her. And when you get back, you can move her into your house again. After all, there'll be plenty of room there for her and your child. Just be sure to take all your things when you leave here, Jack," she said, and then she pulled out of his grip and walked out of the room.

Sam's reaction had been exactly what Jack had expected it would be. He didn't blame her one bit for being hurt, or for hating him. He hated himself too!

With a very heavy heart, Jack packed up the clothing and other items he had kept at Sam's house, and then he headed home to back a bag and make arrangements to take an extended leave from the SGC. He had no idea how long it would take him to find Ashley, but he had to try.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

All Jack had to go on was the phone number. It had turned out to be Georgia prefix assigned to phones in a rural Athens area. So maybe she had gone home to her father's place after all!

Jack took the next flight to Atlanta, and then rented a car. From there it was just an hour's drive to Athens on the freeway. There was an airport there, and he could have taken a commuter plane from Atlanta, but Jack figured he'd need a car anyway, and driving sometimes had a way of calming him down.

During his flight to Atlanta he had called a friend at the FBI and asked him for a favor; he needed to know the location of a phone number in Athens. In a few minutes his friend had called him back. The news wasn't all that good; the phone was actually a pay phone at a restaurant on the highway between Arnoldsville and Crawford. So once he found Arnoldsville on the map provided by the rental car agency, he headed in that direction.

Not far outside of town on highway 78, he saw the restaurant where Ashley had made the phone call. It was a Cracker Barrel, one of many such franchise restaurants all over the U.S. Jack pulled into one of the few parking spaces available in the crowded parking lot and got out. As he walked up to the long front porch, he could see the pay phone ahead near the front door. He checked the phone number on the phone, just in case his friend had made an error, but it was the same number.

Jack was hungry, having eaten nothing since earlier than morning at Sam's...well, nothing that is except for the small packages of pretzels the flight attendant had given him. And by now he was pretty much starving.

He went inside and gave the hostess his name. Fortunately tables for one or two were in less demand, and soon he was being seated over by the wall in the large, open dining room. There was also a dining room to the left, where he could see people lighting up and smoking as they ate.

He still wondered how people could smoke and still enjoy the taste of their food, but that thought was quickly swept out of his head when he saw a familiar blonde head moving about on the other side of the dining room. Jack almost jumped out of his chair, just barely missing the waitress as she came to take his order.

"I wanna sit over in that section," he insisted, pointing toward the smoking section.

"Sure! What ever floats yer boat, honey," said the thin older woman. She kind of figured he'd seen the new girl, and wanted to get acquainted. And even though she regretted losing a customer, she helped him get seated at a table in Ashley's section.

Jack was seated with his back to the swinging double doors, so when she came out to deliver food to a nearby table, she didn't realize it was Jack sitting there. She noticed the new customer, however, and conscientious worker that she was, after she asked if she could get the people anything else, she left them and quickly stepped over to his table. When there eyes met, he thought she was going to faint. Her face went deadly white, and her hands went down to grip the edge of the table.

"My God, Jack! What are you doin here?"

"I'm here to eat. I'm starving," he told her honestly and watched as her complexion began to turn pink once again.

"What can I get for you," she asked with a shaky voice.

"I'll have the chicken and dumplings and plenty of cornbread. And coffee...plenty of coffee!"

She scribbled something on the ticket and turned to walk away.

"Ashley!"

She turned back around, looking as though she was about to run for the door.

"I'll also have a glass of ice water and your company...if you can sit down for a minute?"

"Ah...water. Yes! I'll get it and be right back with the water...and your coffee."

Jack turned and watched as she disappeared into the service area. He really hoped she wouldn't try and do something stupid like dart out the back door. But apparently she hadn't, because in a couple of minutes she was back with a glass of ice water and a carafe of coffee. She set both down on the table and looked at him.

"I can't talk to you while I'm working, Jack. And I don't get off till ten." She poured coffee into one of the cups on the table and slid it over to him, sloshing some on the table.

"I'll be here," he assured her. It was currently 17:20 hours. He'd find some place to wait for her, because there was no way he was leaving here without her!

Ashley waited on him and her other customers without much sign of being upset, although, in truth, she had been greatly disturbed by seeing him. She really thought he wouldn't be able to find her. She had just spoken to him this morning, and now here he was! Who was this guy? Was he some kind of spy or something?

All she really knew about him was that he was in the Air Force, and that he had a good friend who was an archaeologist. Oh, and she also knew his girlfriend was a doctor of physics or something like that. He certainly hung out with some very well-educated people, but somehow Jack didn't strike her as being all that erudite.

While Jack ate he watched Ashley work. She seemed to be good at her job, and he often saw her making friendly small talk with the other diners. He began to wonder how many times she had worked as a waitress, because she certainly seemed to have a knack for it. He decided finally that there was still a lot about this young woman that he didn't know. And the more he watched her, the more he wanted to know everything about her. After all, she was going to be the mother of his child.

Jack didn't dare leave the area, because he still didn't know where she lived. And he couldn't continue to take up a table in the busy restaurant, unless he was eating something. So after finishing his dinner, including a piece of apple pie ala mode, he strolled out into the shop and looked around for a while. It was now only 18:45 hours. He still had a long wait ahead of him.

So he bought a newspaper out of the box outside the front door and sat down in one of the dozens of rocking chairs that lined the large porch. After glancing through the paper, he folded it and sighed. He was rocking nervously back and forth when he saw Ashley come out the front door and walk over to him.

"I forgot to tell you I get a break. I have fifteen minutes," she told him as she sat down in the rocker next to his.

"That's not much time for us to talk about things," Jack said, but he was grateful she had decided to spend it with him.

"I know, but there's really nothing to say, Jack. I'm not going to get an abortion, if that's what you're worried about, and I intend to raise the baby by myself."

She watched as his face showed some signs of relief. She suspected he had been worried she might get rid of the baby, and she felt regret that she hadn't made that clear to him in their phone conversation. But she hadn't expected to talk to him, and hearing his voice had startled her!

"How did you find me so quickly anyway?"

Several customers were coming out of the restaurant, so Ashley kept her voice low, as did Jack.

"Pay phone. I've got a friend with the FBI, and I had him trace the phone number you used when you called this morning. I'm relieved that you intend to keep the baby, Ashley. But there's more to talk about than just that. I want you to come home with me, Ashley," he stated plainly.

"This my home, Jack! This is where I should have stayed! I had no business thinking I could ever be anything other than a waitress...or a dancer. I've got this job now. And it's not much, but it will pay for most things. And the state will take care of my medical bills, so you don't need to worry about that. I'm home now, and my dad's happy to have me back. So you go on home and take care of Sam and that baby girl of hers," she told him, as she got up.

He reached out and clung to her hand, his eyes begging her to listen to him.

"Ashley, you're carrying my child. I never thought I'd have another child again. I can't just forget about you or the baby, honey, can't you see that? Besides, Sam doesn't want me around her or Katie. I told her about us."

"She'll come around, if she really loves you, Jack. No woman in her right mind would reject you, if you told them you love them. You DID tell her, didn't you?"

He still hand his big hand around her thin wrist, but now that some people were walking up, he let go of her, not wanting anyone to think he was harassing her.

"I told her. But I don't think she'll ever forgive me. Even if she did, I'd still want to be a part of our baby's life, Ashley. And I'm not leaving Georgia without you!"

"I can't go with you, Jack. Dad needs me, and besides it's cheaper for me to live here in Georgia. I can't expect you to support me any longer, Jack. By the way, Daniel let it slip that you were the one paying me. I intend to pay you back every cent...some day."

"Shit," was all he said, but it wasn't all he was thinking. In fact his head was about to implode from everything he was thinking or feeling.

"You'll get Sam back, and then you won't think so much about me and the baby. I've got to go back to work now, Jack. Good-bye," she said with finality.

But he was not going to take no for an answer, he thought, as he watched her go back inside the restaurant. He'd wait her until she got off work, and then he'd convince her to come back to Colorado with him. He had to!

At ten o'clock Ashley came out to get into her car, only to find a very yummy-looking Jack O'Neill standing there leaning against it. He had obviously gone somewhere and changed clothes, and now he looked so handsome in his black leather jacket and tan pants, that she couldn't help but smile at him. Damn the man was fine!

"Jaack, what are you doing here?" she moaned, as he put his arms around her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"I told you I'm not leaving here without you, sweetheart, so you may as well give in," he warned her in a smooth-as-silk voice that set her nerves on fire.

She had really hated to leave Colorado, but she knew he didn't love her...couldn't ever love her the way that he loved Sam. So what was she to do!

"Jack, you're incorrigible," she said as he put her arms around his shoulders.

"My mom always said I'd never amount to any good," he said, his mouth tilting up to one side in a smirky smile that made Ashley's legs weak. "I guess Mom was right. But I love our baby, and I want to be a part of his or her life. I'll be a good father, and I'll be good to you. I promise! Please, please, come home with me!"  
>'God, he is so damned hard to resist,' she thought desperately, holding on tightly to her conviction. Somehow she had to get him to go home without her!<p>

"No, Jack! I've thought about this long and hard, and I just..."

"You just what, honey? You just hate me too much to have to see my ugly face every day? You know I'm not too fond of myself right now, either, and I really need for you to let me take care of you and our baby. It'll be my only way of redeeming myself, honey!  
>If you don't let me, I don't know what I will do, Ash. Honey, please; I'm dyin here," he said with tears glistening in his eyes.<p>

No, she didn't hate him. How on earth could she hate him? God, he was so sweet, and he looked positively good enough to eat! No wonder she'd forgotten about protection that day. In fact, it's a wonder she'd ever thought about that sort of thing when he'd made love to her!

He was staring at her with those intense, black eyes of his, the tears welling up in his bottom lids, and she almost lost her nerve. But she knew she had to do this.

"Drive. I'll follow you to your motel. I assume you have a motel?"

"Yes, it's not far. Oh, Ashley, thank you! You won't be sorry, I promise," he told her before pulling her into his arms and kissing her soundly on the lips.

As Jack drove he was feeling a lot better about this whole situation. True, he still had to win Sam back. But maybe it was like Ashley had said; if Sam truly loved him...and he was certain she did...she would come around.

Jack hadn't been paying very good attention, or he would have noticed when the headlamps on her car went out. Ashley had turned right two streets back. Then she turned the headlamps back on and gunned the engine of her Mustang GT. She drove like a bat out of hell, until she was parked next to her rented trailer. She wasn't staying with her father. That had just been a story to lead Jack onto the wrong track, in case he didn't give up looking for her.

She knew now that she'd have to be even more careful, if she was to keep Jack O'Neill from finding her again. Using that pay phone on her morning break had been very stupid. And even though she liked her new job, she would have to let it go and find another one.

"Oh, well," she sighed, "waitress jobs are a dime a dozen."

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Jack couldn't believe how stupid he had been! A seven-year-old could have seen the stunt coming that Ashley had pulled. And now here he was without a clue as to where she had gone. But he would find one, or die trying!

He quickly turned around and drove back to the restaurant, where several employees were still inside closing up the place.

Jack banged on the front door, looking through the glass panes at the man inside. The fella walked up to the door with his hands out, shaking his head and yelling that they were closed.

"No! I know you're closed! I just need to talk to the manager for a minute!"

"Sorry, buddy," he yelled through the closed outer door. Then he walked in through the inner door and locked it behind him, sealing the sound of Jack's urgent pleas outside with the warm, humid night air.

He decided to wait outside until someone else came out. Maybe one of the employees knew where Ashley lived, he thought desperately.

After about an hour the same man and two other employees came out the back door. The man he had spoken to was apparently the manager, because he was using a key to lock the back door.

The other two people, two women, walked quickly past Jack, looking at him as though he might be a robber or something equally as unsavory.

"Sir! I'm really sorry to bother you, but I need to locate one of your employees," Jack told the man.

The guy turned and began walking toward the only other car remaining in the parking lot. Jack walked alongside him.

"Please, I need to find Ashley Sinclair. Will you tell me her address?"

"I'm sorry, I don't give out employee's personal information...unless you're the law a course," he said in a thick Southern accent.

"That's exactly who I am! I'm with the FBI, and we've been looking for her for weeks. She was a witness to a crime in Colorado, and I need to take her into protective custody," Jack lied, deciding to use the guy's obvious fear of 'the law' to get what he wanted.

He knew he could probably beat an answer out of the man, but that would probably result in Jack's arrest for assault and battery. And besides Jack really wasn't really that kind of guy anyway, no matter how hard he tried to sell his macho image at the SGC.

"A crime ya say? What sorta crime did she see?"

"It was a bank robbery. Ya, they shot up the place pretty bad...killed two tellers and wounded a cop! So you see we really gotta find her, before THEY do!"

"Jesus! Ya'll think they could be comin here lookin for her?"

"They could be. Now where did ya say she lives?"

Twenty minutes later Jack was standing outside Ashley's trailer door. He knocked, and then he heard her voice.

"Coming! Gracie, if that's you, keep your shirt on! I'm not decent," Ashley yelled, and Jack smiled. He assumed Gracie must be a neighbor.

In a minute the porch light came on and the door opened. Jack grabbed it as it swung out toward him. He didn't want her slamming and locking it, before he could get inside.

"Jack! What the hell!"

"I'm glad you didn't waste time getting too decent. I like the way you look in your PJ's," he told her as he pushed her back inside and shut the door behind him, before locking it.

"Jack, I told you I'm not going anywhere with you, so you can just..."

Her words were cut off by his lips crushing hers, and before she could think to push him away, she had given in to his kiss.

Jack awoke the next morning covered by Ashley's favorite pink comforter.

The trip back to Colorado Springs had been long and exhausting. Since she wasn't about to leave her car in Georgia, Jack had driven it, stuffed full of her belongings, all the way back to his house. They had made it almost all the way to Dallas by the first night. The second Jack's head hit the motel pillow, he was out like a light. The second day they made it to his house in Colorado Springs before 21:00.

The following morning Jack told Ashley to get her cute little ass back to Daniel's place and complete the work on his collection. That was fine with her, since she didn't want to be a kept woman anyway. It was bad enough that soon she would be getting fat and all of her nice clothes wouldn't fit her anymore! And then Jack probably wouldn't touch her anymore either, which really worried her.

What if he decided to keep the baby when it was born and toss her out with the garbage? What recourse would she have? After all, she was just a poor girl from the other side of the tracks, and he was this big, bad General, who apparently knew all sorts of interesting and powerful people.

Ashley spent the entire day looking through Daniel's huge library of reference books, trying to figure out what the hell this one artifact was, and by evening she was famished, having forgotten to eat lunch. She returned to Jack's house that night at "1800 hours" as per his exact instructions, and was surprised to find him at home, in the kitchen cooking dinner. And it smelled heavenly!

"Hmmmm! What ever that is, give me a lot of it. I could eat a horse!" she cried, plopping down in a chair at the table.

"Did you wash your hands?" Jack asked her, and she gave him an annoyed look.

But then she got up and went into the guest bathroom. Jack could hear the water running as he dished out the Beef Burgundy. He was about to pour her a glass of red wine, when he caught himself. He shoved the cork down into the bottle and put it back into the refrigerator. Then he got out the container of milk and poured her a glassful.

The little momma was going to drink milk with her dinner every night, whether she liked it or not. He was determined to take the best care of her and their baby that he possible could. He would show Sam and everyone that he could be a good father!

He sighed, thinking about how many times he and Ashley had this conversation about her diet in the last forty-eight hours. He wanted her to stop drinking pop, coffee, tea and alcohol, but she was being very difficult...or more like childishly stubborn.

She came back and sat down just as Jack sat the plate and the glass down in front of her.

"Jaack," she whined, and he knew exactly what was coming. So before she could say another word, he spoke sternly to her, thinking how much he sounded like he was her father instead of her lover. 'Well, shit, Jack, what did you expect,' he chastised himself, 'she is young enough to be your daughter, for Christ's sake!'

"Drink your milk, or I'll take away all your makeup and those lotions you love so much," he said gruffly, as he sat down across from her.

"I don't think it's necessary for you to harass me," she said in a voice that reminded Jack of Charlie when he had been fussing about eating his vegetables. Jack smiled a little at the memory.

"I'm not harassing you. I'm looking out for our child's health."

"Well, all this milk is gonna make me as fat as one of those animals it came out of," she complained, and Jack's smile spread across his face.

"I can't wait," Jack said, his eyes twinkling as he wrapped his lips around a forkful of beef and noodles.

"I just bet you can't," she said sarcastically. She knew he was just teasing her. Jack was just like other men; they didn t look twice at a fat woman, unless it was to make fun of her.

"Will you just shut up and eat, please." Jack was really in no mood for her whining, specially after the way Sam had treated him.

"Now you're telling me to shut up? How much more abuse do I have to take?"

"I haven't gotten out the paddle yet, but I can, if you don't start behaving," Jack warned her, but his voice had softened, and he smiled at her.

She began to eat, but a smile was building on her face too, and soon she began to giggle.

"What's so funny?"

"You are! Sometimes you sound like my old man," she told him, wishing momentarily that her father was even half as good a person as Jack O'Neill.

"I AM your old man. Or at least I am in some people's vernacular."

She harrumphed and made a face at him. Then she began to eat in earnest, wolfing down large bites of the delicious meat and noodles, dripping in brown, mushroom and red wine gravy. Soon she was wiping her plate clean with a hunk of French bread and asking for more.

"May I have more, please?" she asked in her child-like voice.

"Yes, Oliver, you may have more," Jack told her with a smirk.

"Oliver? Who's Oliver?"

"You don't know the story of Oliver Twist?"

"No, I don't. Is he a friend of yours too, Jack? You seem to have a lot of friends in high places."

Her comment made Jack laugh, and he really needed a good laugh today. He had never thought of himself as being anyone significant or important, and apparently a certain Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter-Shanahan would agree with that!

"Like who," he asked as he spooned more food onto her plate.

"Like that lawyer, and Daniel, and your physicist girlfriend, and the guy at the FBI. I heard about him from Gus, the manager at the Cracker Barrel, who you scared to death with your bank robbery story. Shame on you, Jack! Gus called me the next morning while you were still asleep."

Jack gave her a curious look and she said, "Well, he was worried about me!"

"Oh, and there was the time you mentioned having dinner with the Joint Chiefs. I had to look them up on the internet. Golly, Jack, they're the heads of all our military, for heaven's sake!"

"Yes, they are. I've even met the President a few times," he told her, and her eyes opened really wide, the green irises seeming even greener.

"You're pulling my leg, right?"

"Nope, but I will if you want me to," he joked as he reached down and grabbed her by the ankle.

She pulled away and squealed with laughter, before tucking her leg up under her.

"Stop it, Jack," she said, but she was actually enjoying his attention, and it was good to see him smile.

She hated it when he was in a bad mood, and today he was in an odd sort of bad mood. She suspected his talk with Sam hadn't gone too well, and it irritated her that any woman could hurt this very special man. What was wrong with Sam; was she crazy?

She cleaned her plate for the second time, and then sat back and patted her flat tummy.

"My God, Jack, if I keep eating like this, I'll get as big as a whale!"

"I doubt it," he said as he began cleaning up the table.

She jumped up out of her chair and nudged him aside with her hip. "No! Jack, I'll clean up the kitchen tonight. And I'll cook tomorrow night."

"You know how to cook?"

"Of course I know how to cook, silly! Ma momma taught me when I was just a kid," she told him, her strong Southern accent making an appearance, as it often did when she talked about her childhood home.

"Sorry, I just thought... It seems like there's a lot I still don't know about you...a lot I intend to find out."

Jack stepped up behind her at the sink as she rinsed the plates and glasses. He was close enough that she imagined she could feel the heat radiating off his body. Then he put his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Ashley, you won't be sorry you came back with me. I promise."

"Can you promise to love...our baby?" She had been about to say 'me', but she knew better than to ask him for something that was impossible. How could he love her, when he loved Sam?

"I promise to love our baby, Ashley. In fact, I love it already," he told her, rubbing his hand over her flat belly. "I can't wait till we can feel it move," he told her, kissing the side of her neck as he inhaled her sweet scent.

She smelled like strawberries and cream and just plain good enough to eat, which was exactly what he felt like doing. After the shitty way that Sam had treated him, Jack really needed some tender loving care.

"Go get into bed, and I'll be there in a couple of minutes," she told him.

Jack did as she asked, stripping off his T-shirt and Jeans as he went and tossing them onto a chair in the corner of his bedroom. Then he climbed into his big bed...the bed where he'd hoped he and Sam would spend a thousand and one nights learning each others' bodies.

As he lay there, running a hand thoughtlessly over his taut abdomen, he wondered how he could have been so foolish...so egotistical...so delusional...to think that a woman of Sam's caliber could want an old, fucked up guy like him.

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Now that he was fighting the insecurities that gripped his heart, his ego needed a big boost. Sam obviously didn't love him as much as he loved her, or else she wouldn't...couldn't have said what she had. The memory of her words was burned into his brain, like a brand that read 'Loser.'

*~*~*~*~*~*  
>Jack rang her doorbell, thinking that it probably wouldn't go over very well with her if he simply let himself in. He still had her door key...he had door keys for all his close friends, just in case of an emergency. This seemed like the most dire of emergencies to Jack, but he realized that Sam might not take kindly to him just barging in on her. After all, it had just been three days ago when she had told him to get out.<p>

When Sam opened the door a crack, Jack was standing there with his head bowed, and his tail between his legs...well, figuratively speaking. He had never begged a woman for anything before, but now he was prepared to squawk like a chicken and bark like a dog, if that was what Sam wanted him to do!

"Sam, I'm sorry. I love you, honey. Won't you please let me..."

"You sorry excuse for a man! How dare you show your face around here!"

Jack looked at her with a startled expression. "It's MY baby, Sam. What was I supposed to do?"

"Keep it in your pants, for starters! But I guess it's too late for that, isn't it? Daniel told me she's at your house now, so why don't you just go home and be with her?"

He could see tears welling in her bottom lids, and her lips trembled as she fought her emotions. "But Sam, I don't want to be with Ashley. I don't love Ashley. I love YOU!"

"I don't think you have any idea what real love is, Jack O'Neill, or you wouldn't have done this. Now leave me the hell alone!" she spat, her voice cracking as the tears started to roll down her cheeks.

"Ahhh, Sam. Please, sweetheart..."

He began to reach a hand out toward her face, but she jerked the door a bit further closed and yelled at him.

"NO! I don't care if I never see you again! I gave up my career for you, you bastard! I don't know what ever possessed me to think that you and I had anything in common, other than SG-1! And now we don't even have that, so...so...so just leave me the hell alone!"

And with those final, hurt-filled words, Sam had slammed the door shut in Jack's face.  
>*~*~*~*~*~*<p>

"Jack?"

He suddenly realized that Ashley was sitting on the bed next to him, and apparently she had said something to him that he hadn't heard.

"Ya, honey, what is it?"

"Where were you just now?"

Ashley curled up next to him, and Jack put his arms around her and rested his cheek against her head.

"I was here, Ash. No place else," he told her, but she knew he had been thinking about Sam and just didn't want to admit it, for fear of hurting her feelings.

She also suspected that Sam had rejected him today, and she knew it was all her fault. If she'd never picked him up that day...if she'd never slept with him...he would be happy with Sam and her baby daughter now. And she wouldn't be expecting a baby that was unplanned. So, what was a girl to do, that was the question.

"Make love to me, Jack," she whispered in his ear.

She knew she was using him to satisfy her own needs, but she also knew he needed her in his own way. She would enjoy having him close until the baby was born, and then she'd start over again some place else. And if she was lucky, maybe she'd find someone some day who would love her the way that Jack loved Sam.

But for now, she decided that staying here with Jack was her best option. After all, Jack could afford to care for her and the baby. And then afterward, he could afford to raise the child.

Jack began to undress her...slowly and reverently. And as his hands and lips caressed her tender breasts, Ashley began to formulate a plan...a plan to give this kind, generous man the things he wanted most in the world.

The following day Jack went back to work full time at the SGC. And, having decided that strangling the base's head archaeologist might be bad for morale, Jack had chosen to avoid seeing Daniel. But Daniel, who had never been one to hide from a difficult situation, chose to see him.

It was the middle of the afternoon, and Jack was beginning to think about going home early, when Dr. Jackson strolled into Jack's office without knocking.

"Hello, Jack. And before you say anything, Sam asked me where you'd gone and if you'd found Ashley. What was I supposed to say?"

"It's okay, Daniel; I've decided not to kill you. And just to show you there's no...or at least not many...hard feelings...I sent Ashley back to your place to work on those dust catchers of yours."

"You did! Great! She really was doing an excellent job, Jack. The girl has potential.

"Ya, I agree. But now I'm afraid I've robbed her of her dreams, Daniel."

"Jack, it takes two to tango, if you get my drift," he said, raising both eyebrows suggestively.

"Thanks, Daniel, as usual, you have a way of getting to the point. And yes, I realize that perhaps she should have been more cautious than to become involved with me. But she's so young, Daniel. I should have been the one to back off, and I certainly should have been more careful."

Daniel knew that Jack was referring to the pregnancy. He just nodded in agreement; there was no sense in rubbing it in.

"You know, don't you?"

It was more of a statement really, and Daniel nodded again.

"Sam told me," Daniel admitted.

"I can't believe this is happening, Daniel! I never thought I'd have a chance with Sam, and then I did get a chance. And now it looks like I've ruined everything."

"So, did Sam really tell you to drop dead?"

Daniel had perched himself on the front corner of Jack's desk, watching as Jack glanced quickly over the form on the top of a one-inch stack of papers in the center of his desk.

"Not exactly, but she made herself pretty clear. Why? Is that what she said?"

"Yes, those were her exact words, if memory serves. But don't worry; she still loves you, and she'll come around."

"Now you're beginning to sound like Ashley," Jack told him as he signed his name on the requisition form.

He usually had Walter read them and put yellow highlighter on the ones he needed to okay. But today Walter was having a root canal, poor bastard. And so Jack was actually having to read the things, and even a visit from Daniel had been a pleasant break from the mundane.

"So...wanna go get some coffee," Jack asked as a conciliatory gesture, and Daniel grinned till his glasses slipped down his nose. Jack stood up and gave the errant eyeglasses a shove upward.

"Thanks! Yes, that would be nice, Jack."

As they walked down the hallway, Jack asked Daniel about Sam. "How's she doing?"

Jack knew that Sam had misgivings about her ability to care for a baby, and yet he had gone off and left her to cope on her own. Jack had been certain all along that she would be a very good mother, so he really hadn't been worried about her. But to Sam, it must have seemed like he had abandoned her.

"She's doing okay. Janet and I went over there a couple of times, but she really didn't need our help. It was obvious that she wanted to be alone."

"Ya, I wonder why that is, Jack said in a sarcastic tone of voice.

"She's hurting, Jack. But I think, if you give her time, she'll forgive you," Daniel said, studying Jack's profile.

"I'm not so sure, Daniel. I think this may be more than either of us can forgive or forget."

Jack thought about the last thing that Sam had said to him yesterday...that they had nothing in common but SG-1. Funny...that they had nothing in common had always been the one thing he had believed was true. So maybe he'd been right all along?

Jack and Daniel each poured themselves a cup of coffee from the big coffee machine before sitting at one of the tables in the back of the commissary.

"So what are you going to do, Jack?"

"Daniel, I'm really not sure. I just know that I want to be a part of my child's life, if that's at all possible. So...I guess I will take care of Ashley and the baby. Help her get through school. Help her get a good job...hopefully one here in Colorado Springs, so I can spend time with my child. Other than that, I have no idea."

"Those are pretty good plans, Jack, but what about Sam?"

"Right now it doesn't look like Sam will be a part of my life."

"Don't you think you're giving up way too easily, Jack?"

"If you had heard her, Daniel...if you had seen her face, I don't think you'd say that."

"I'm sorry, Jack. I really am. I think you and Sam could have had something very special."

"Ya, Daniel, maybe in some alternate reality," Jack said, and he laughed, but he wasn't smiling.

Right now Jack wouldn't bet money on him and Sam ever having any kind of relationship...ever again.

TBC


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

The clothes dryer was buzzing loudly, as Sam tried to get her fussy daughter to settle down and go to sleep. She finally decided to let the baby cry and go take the clothes out of the dryer. Sam still found it hard to believe how many pieces of clothing and how many blankets and other things such a tiny baby could soil in just one day!

It seemed like all she was doing was laundry and more laundry! And right about now she would welcome the change of going back to work, but that was still a few weeks away. She had been relieved when she found out that the Air Force was willing to keep her on as the head of their research and development lab at the SGC. Even though Daniel had insisted she was a shoe-in, she still felt better once she had that contract signed, sealed and delivered, and now it was.

Sam sighed as she thought about the military career she had given up. Oh, well, she thought, at least she still had her lab, and that was certainly interesting and challenging enough to keep her mind occupied. If only she could get back to it sooner!

She put another load of baby clothes into the dryer, before putting some clothes with stubborn stains on them to soak in the washing machine. Fortunately her neighborhood grocery store had a delivery service, so at least she didn't have to go out today to buy more disposable diapers.

She was just about to begin folding the receiving blankets and crib sheets when the door bell rang. And since she was expecting the market to deliver some things this afternoon, she figured it was the delivery boy.

"Coming," she yelled as she detoured to the bedroom to get her wallet, before going to the front door.

When she opened the door, she got a surprise. It was not a delivery boy at all, but a beautiful young woman.

"Sam," the girl asked, smiling at her.

"Yes, I'm Sam."

"You don't know me, but I think you know ABOUT me. I'm Ashley Sinclair, Jack's friend," she stated as she watched Sam's expression change from a smile to a frown.

"What do you want?"

"I want to talk to you about Jack," she said, and before Sam could refuse to listen, she continued. "He loves you very much, and he never intended for anything like this to happen. He's a good man, and I think you know that," Ashley said quickly.

"What... Did he ask you to come here? Because if he did, he's got a lot of nerve..."

"No! He has no idea I'm here. Honest! I came to tell you that this is all my fault! Jack never meant to hurt you! When we slept together...that first time...it was because he was so hurt that you had married another man."

Sam was trying to ignore Katie crying in the background, but she wasn't having much luck. Sam turned her head to look in the direction of the squalling infant, and Ashley could see the concern in Sam's face.

"Is she okay? Maybe you should go pick her up."

"Yeah, I think that would be a good idea. Ah...come on in. I'll be just a minute," Sam told her and left her standing in the open doorway.

Ashley slowly entered the house, feeling a bit out of place. But she really wanted to try and make things right between Jack and Sam, so she needed to stay and talk to the woman, no matter how awkward this was. Ashley closed the door behind her and walked further into the house. It was a big house...much bigger than Jack's, and it was very pretty too...so much so that she was gaping as she looked from the foyer into the beautifully furnished rooms.

Sam came walking toward her carrying a tiny bundle on her shoulder. She rubbed the baby's back as she walked. Suddenly a loud burp echoed around the foyer, and both women laughed. But then the baby began to cry again and Sam frowned once more.

"Poor thing," Ashley remarked, watching as Sam lowered her daughter to her arms.

Ashley stepped up to Sam and looked at the tiny, red face as it twisted in obvious pain.

"Ooooh! Bless her heart! May I hold her?"

"I guess so. If you really want to. I'm not sure what's wrong with her. She doesn't always cry this much. Why don't we go into the family room and sit down. Take the rocking chair. She likes to be rocked," Sam suggested, and Ashley sat down in the wooden chair.

Sam handed Katie to Ashley, and it was clear, by the way she took her, that Ashley had some experience with babies.

"I think she's just colicky. It usually helps work the gas out when you hold them like this," she said as she placed Katie across her knees and rubbed her back. Sam watched in awe as Ashley got Katie settled down, and in a few minutes the baby was sound asleep across Ashley's legs.

"You're good with her. Do you come from a large family?"

"Oh, no ma'am. There's just me and my brother. I baby sat a lot when I was a kid though," she explained, and Sam just smiled and nodded.

"If you've got something you need to do, I'd be happy to stay a while," Ashley offered.

At first Sam was going to reject her offer, but then she thought it would be kind of nice to have Ashley's help and to have another adult around to talk to. She had intended to dislike her from the moment they had first met, but she was finding it impossible to hold any animosity toward this young woman.

And Although she had all but chased Daniel and Janet away the day before, there was something comforting about Ashley's young, happy face, something that made Sam want to get to know her better.

"Okay, if you really don't mind. I was just about to put the laundry away. I'll be just a few minutes," she told her.

While Sam was out of the room, Ashley scooped the sleeping infant into her arms and got up. She took a good look around, slowly walking from the family room to the dining room and into the kitchen, as she cradled the baby to her chest.

The house was the nicest one she had ever seen. And it was clear that Sam, or whoever decorated the house, had really good taste. In fact the rooms looked like photos from one of those decorating magazines that Ashley liked. She used to think of them as her 'dream books', but now it seemed her dreams had gone up in a puff of smoke...other wise known as one afternoon of mindless passion.

It wasn't likely she'd ever get her degree with a child to raise. But maybe there was a solution to her problem, and the key to that solution was just in the other room.

When Sam came back into the family room, Ashley was standing by the French doors, looking out into the back yard. And she was singing to Katie in a soprano voice that was really quite nice.

"I think Katie won't be able to sleep without you singing to her and holding her from now on," Sam joked. "Would you like to put her in her bed? Then we can have some iced tea and talk," Sam suggested.

"I'd like that."

So Ashley followed Sam down the long hallway to the baby's room, where she gently put her on her tummy and covered her with a light blanket. Then the two women went into the kitchen, where Ashley watched as Sam got out to tall glasses and filled them.

"You have a really pretty house, Sam," Ashley told the older woman, as she set the glass down in front of her.

Sam pulled out a bar stool and sat down next to her, facing the black marble counter.

"Thank you. Pete actually picked it out. He loved this house," Sam told her with a wistful look on her face.

"I'm sorry about your husband. Jack told me what happened. It must have been awful for you."

"Yes, it was quite a shock."

But Sam didn't want to talk about Pete or herself just now. She wanted to know more about Ashley.

"So...you met Jack when you gave him a ride...the day of my wedding?"

"Yes, that's right. He was standing out on the highway with his thumb out, and I'd never seen anyone hitching a ride in a suit before, so I just had to stop. Also, he looked pretty fine, if you know what I mean," she said, and then she blushed and smiled.

"Yes, I know what you mean," Sam told her, tipping her head up and down. "He is a very nice looking man."

"He's awesome! Don't you just love those huge dimples!"

Ashley quickly realized she was letting her infatuation for the man show, and that was not why she had come here today. "Sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I really came here to talk some sense into you," she admitted, and Sam smirked.

Who did this young woman think she was, trying to 'talk sense' into her! Now that was a good one! "I think I'm mature enough to know my own mind, Ashley."

"I'm not sure age has anything to do with it, Sam. But I think your pride has a lot to do with it. You're pride has been hurt, and you feel like you need to lash out at him. I understand that, but I also understand that you can't have stopped loving him so easily!"

"No, you're right about that. I do still love him."

"Then there's still a chance for you! You just have to put your pride aside and accept that he's not perfect. He made a mistake. All people make mistakes, Sam, but it doesn't mean they're bad people, or that they don't love you."

"I guess that depends on how often they make mistakes," Sam said, wondering if Ashley was speaking from personal experience. Who in her life had made mistakes and hurt her?

"Yes, that's true. But Sam, has Jack ever really hurt you before?"

"No, he hasn't." Sam had to admit that Jack had never hurt her before. In fact he had always been nothing but supportive and kind to her. He had even come to the church to watch her marry another man. And suddenly the thought of how much that much have hurt Jack made Sam's stomach churn.

"He was devastated when you got married. He talked about you as though you were the most special thing in his life. He still talks about you that way."

"Oh, God, I must have hurt him something awful," Sam said, remembering his tortured face all the times she had talked to him about her and Pete...showing him the ring...telling him about this house...talking about the honeymoon. And suddenly Sam realized something; she had never really considered just how upset Jack must have been till now...now that she knew what it was like to be facing a life without him in it.

Sam bit her bottom lip as she fought back her tears. Ashley reached out and patted her shoulder. "It's gonna be okay, Sam. It's not too late for you and Jack."

Sam could barely talk, but somehow she managed to say what was foremost in her mind. "Ashley, how can you be so kind to me? I mean, I can tell that you really care about him, so why are you doing this?"

"Because I want him to be happy, Sam. He doesn't love me. I know that. I've always know that. And if it weren't for the baby inside me, I would be long gone from his life by now. I really shouldn't be living with him now, but he was just so bull-headed about it."

Ashley's eyes had filled with tears, and when Sam looked at her face, she saw how deeply Ashley was affected by all of this. And she felt terrible for her. Suddenly the two women threw their arms around one another and hugged, both of them releasing all their pent up emotions. When their tears had stopped for the most part, Sam held the girl at arm's length and looked her in the eye.

"Ashley, I know you're working for Daniel, but how would you like to move in here with me and help me with Katie? I have to go back to work in a few weeks, and I'm going to need someone to take care of her."

"Oh, Sam, I'd love that! And I think I can do both. I would hate to let Daniel down, since he's been so nice to me. And the work I'm doing for him is a great way for me to learn about other civilizations and cultures."

"I agree! Now I think you should go to Jack's and get your things...while he's still at the SGC."

Okay, but I have a feeling Jack is not going to like the two of us plotting behind his back. You know how guys are," Ashley said with certainty.

"Not as much as you apparently do!" They both laughed and Ashley slipped down off the stood.

"In my profession...or I should say past profession...I got to know a lot of guys," she told Sam, and Sam's face grew puzzled.

"What exactly was your past profession?"

"I was a waitress back home...before I moved to Colorado, but then I got this really great paying job as a dancer in Denver. I was a dancer when Jack met me," she said, watching as a light bulb seemed to go on inside Sam's head.

"Dancer as in topless dancer?"

"Yes, Ma'am. Oh! Does that bother you? Just because I was a dancer doesn't mean I fooled around a lot. Although I can see why you wouldn't believe me."

"No, honey, I believe you. Anyone who is not on birth control probably isn't making a habit of it," Sam agreed and Ashley laughed.

"Ain't that the truth! In fact, before Jack, I hadn't been with a guy since I left Georgia. I had a high school sweetheart," she confided. "But he went off to college in Texas the year before I graduated."

"How old are you now?" Sam had been wondering, since although Ashley seemed very mature in some ways, there was also a very young quality about her.

"I told everyone here that I'm twenty-six. But I'm actually just twenty. I'll be twenty-one in October."

"Oh, shit! And Jack doesn't know?"

"No. Do you think I should tell him?"

" No, please don't! I think the shock might kill him, and neither you nor I would want that to happen."

They talked for a few more minutes, and then Ashley left to go to Jack's house to get her things.

"Jack," Sam said aloud, as she waved at Ashley and watched her drive away, "when you fuck up, you do it in Aces!"

She figured she had just done all of them a big favor. Ashley wouldn't be the temptation living under his roof anymore, Sam would have the babysitter she needed, and Ashley would still have a nice place to live.

What they would do when Ashley's baby arrived, she wasn't sure yet. But she figured they would cross that bridge when they came to it, as Jack was fond of saying. She put the iced tea glasses into the dishwasher, and then she went back into the laundry room to throw another load of clothes into the dryer.

Life, Sam thought, was about to get even more interesting!

TBC


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

When Jack got home later that day and noticed that Ashley had taken her things and cleared out, he panicked. But then he heard the phone ringing, and he ran to pick it up, praying that it was her. The voice on the other end of the line was like music to his ears, and it was also a huge surprise.

"Jack, I'm just calling to tell you that Ashley has moved in here with me. She's going to be baby-sitting Katie when I go back to work. She will continue to work at Daniel's in her spare time, so you don't have to worry...the work will get completed."

Sam had talked so fast, that Jack had not been able to get in a word. When she finally stopped to take a breath, he jumped in, or at least he tried to. "What are you talking about? How did you. ?

But Sam interrupted him, a thing she was getting good at doing lately, he thought with frustration.

"Jack, this is the way things are going to be, so learn to live with it! Oh, and if you want to see one of us, you will have to phone and make an appointment first," she informed him before hanging up. Sam wasn't ready to be nice to Jack...not yet!

Jack just sat there with the receiver to his ear, his mouth hanging open in shock. When had his life turned into a fucking soap opera for Christ's sake!

After Sam hung up, Ashley, who had been sitting at her elbow during the one-sided conversation, looked curiously at Sam. "What did he say? Is he mad at me?"

"Honey, don't worry. I don't think he's mad at you. He probably just wonders how this all came about."

"We should probably explain, shouldn't we?" Ashley wasn't sure she wanted to see Jack's face when he found out she was the one who had come to Sam. She had seen him when he was angry, and the thought of him being angry at her was scary. She knew he wouldn't hit her or anything like that, it was just that having someone she loved yell at her or be really mad at her made her stomach roil. She could remember her mother getting really mad at her a few times, specially when she'd been drinking too much. Ashley didn't like those memories, so she tried not to dwell on them.

"Knowing Jack, it won't be long before he calls. And when he does, I'll ask him to come over. Then we can tell him how we talked and that our decision was mutual and is final."

"But Sam, I'm afraid for him to know that I came over here! He won't like it. He ll think that I was interfering in his life!."

"Interfering in HIS life? This is YOUR life too! Don't worry, honey; I can handle Jack O'Neill."

For the most part Ashley didn't doubt that what Sam said was true, so when the phone rang a few minutes later, she was sort of prepared for what she heard when Sam answered.

"Hello?"

"Sam, I want to see you... Both of you! Today! NOW, if it's okay with you?"

He tried to sound stern and in charge, but that was not the way he was feeling. Jack had tried to force himself to wait at least an hour before phoning Sam, but he just couldn't! Being shut out of their lives like this was killing him! Hell, he felt about as low as a man could get! He had screwed up royally, and now the two women he had hurt were together and probably talking about what a bastard he was. He needed to get over there and try to make things right...somehow!

Sam was about to answer him, when Ashley waved frantically, mouthing words that Sam couldn't quite understand. "Just a minute, Jack." Sam held her hand over the mouth piece of the phone.

"I promised to fix his dinner tonight. Maybe I should go back over there and..."

But Sam held out her hand to indicate that she d heard enough. She had something else in mind. "Jack, why don't you come over here and eat dinner with us?"

"I'd really like that, Sam. Thanks! What time?"

"In about an hour?"

"Okay, I'll be there," he said, and they hung up.

"Okay, Ashley, he's coming to dinner. Now...what do you want to prepare?"

While Ashley went into the kitchen to see what their options were, Sam hurried into the shower. She hadn't cleaned up yet today, and she figured she probably smelled like spoiled milk and wet diapers. When she came out into the kitchen ten minutes later, she smelled a delicious aroma in the air.

"Mmmm! What is that?"

"Pasta sauce. I hope you like it! I hate the stuff in a jar, so I make my own. You're out of basil and oregano now, by the way," she remarked, stirring the big pot on the stove.

"We'll start a grocery list and put it on the refrigerator. Whatever you need, just add it to the list," Sam said, grabbing a Post It and an ink pen from a drawer. I ll leave these here, so you can start a list, she added, as she laid the items on the counter next to the refrigerator.

"I plan to pay my own way, you know. I don't like being obligated to anyone. I know that Jack is paying me to work at Daniel's, and I hate it. But I'll take the money and use it to pay for my food and stuff. I intend to pay him back some day, when I get a real job," she stated honestly.

"Jack is paying you to work at Daniel's?"

"Yes. When I first accepted the job, I didn't know he was the one paying me. But then Daniel admitted it to me. I can tell that Daniel's a lot like me that way; he hates keeping secrets from people, even when the truth sometimes hurts."

"Yes, Daniel is often painfully honest," Sam agreed with a smirk. Actually it was one of the qualities she loved most about him, and one of the things that irked Jack the most about him. Daniel had a habit of telling it like it is, even when it made Jack face something he didn't want to face. Sam remembered how the two men would get into it over something that Daniel had said, and Jack would give him a look that said 'keep your mouth shut before I shut it for you!' Even though the two men often disagreed, Sam actually missed those days.

While Sam set the dining room table she smiled to herself, wondering what Daniel would have to say about this most recent change in Jack's life. She was sure he'd have some opinion about Jack's girlfriend living with his would-be... Would be what? Not fianc e, because Jack and she had never even gotten to that point in their relationship. So what in the hell were she and Jack to one another? It suddenly came to her that she wasn't sure.

Sam, who was throwing together a green salad to go with the pasta dish that Ashley was fixing, turned and looked at the girl. She certainly had a nice figure. She wasn't voluptuous by any means, but she had a lovely, natural, young body. And suddenly Sam felt insecure in her appearance. What if Jack preferred Ashley's younger body to hers? After all, she was old enough to be Ashley's mother! "Eh...I'm gonna go change clothes," Sam said, almost running out of the room.

Ashley was about to say that she thought Sam looked fine. But before she could get one word out, Sam darted out of the room.

A few minutes later the doorbell rang. And since she figured that Sam was too busy to answer it, Ashley went to the door and looked through the tiny peep hole. Oh, my God, it s Jack!

Having heard the doorbell, Sam ran down the hall. And with her sandals sliding across the wooden foyer floor, she arrived next to Ashley just as she opened the door.

Sam and Ashley stood there side-by-side looking like two Barbie Dolls, and for a second Jack lost his ability to speak. "Eh uh...Hey! I brought this. It s not wine. It s a bottle of sparkling grape juice," Jack explained, handing the bottle to Ashley, who was standing the closest.

"Thank you, Jack," she said politely, but she held the bottle out away from her body, as though she thought it might explode. She was still afraid he would find out that she had come to see Sam and started this whole crazy friendship they had going. And if he did find out, she was sure he wouldn t like it.

"Come in," Sam said, as Ashley backed away and ducked into the kitchen. Jack came inside and took off his jacket. Sam reached for it and hung it up in the coat closet in the foyer, while Jack and ran a hand through his hair.

Sam knew exactly what the hand in the hair indicated, and she was secretly glad that he was so ill at ease. He deserved to sweat a bit for his mistakes, and Sam was gonna make sure he did a lot of perspiring tonight!

Jack was glad when she led the way into the living room, as it gave him a chance to check out a room he had never seen before and one he wouldn t have pictured when he thought of her. The room was cold and too fancy. She indicated he should sit down on the very formal looking sofa, so he did. Then he glanced around the room, taking in all the finery, the silver candlesticks, the crystal vases of flowers, and what appeared to be a real Oriental rug on the floor beneath his feet. Here were hundreds of books too, in the built-in bookcases along the wall next to him, and he was curious to see if they were all about physics, or if Sam read anything else, but just then his attention was drawn to Sam's face.

What would you like to drink? I have beer, wine, and the hard stuff." She had always kept Scotch and Gin on hand for her father, but the bottles hadn t been touched in a long time.

"Beer will be fine," he told her, and she turned to go and get it.

Jack watched Sam leave the room, ogling the sight of her slightly rounded, firm ass in a pair of tight, blue jeans. Boy, she certainly had gotten back into shape fast after having a baby, he decided, feeling his temperature rising. And suddenly he felt something else beginning to rise, and so he crossed his legs, hoping to stem the growth of his fledgling erection. He certainly didn't want to look like a bull in a cow pasture!

It had occurred to him, as he changed clothes before leaving for Sam's house, how odd this all was. He was about to have dinner with his true love and his girl friend. And what was even more odd, and unsettling, was that they seemed to have become friends!

"Here you go," Sam said, handing him a bottle of beer. She had a glass of something dark purple in her other hand. She took a sip as she sat down on the chair opposite him, and licked her lips. Jack's gaze came to rest on her mouth, and his erection began twitching in response to the seeing her full lips all wet and pursed, as though she was preparing to be kissed, or to kiss someone. And suddenly he wished it was him!

"Mmmm! This is really good, Jack. Thanks for bringing it."

"You're welcome. I thought it was the least I could do." Jack leaned forward and lowered his voice, as though telling her a confidence. "Look, Sam, I don't know how this happened, but are you sure you want her living here with you and Katie?"

"Yes, Jack, I think it's a very good solution to a very difficult problem," she stated. "I need a baby sitter for Katie. As you know, I ll be going back to work in three weeks, and Ashley needs a real job...one that will last longer than just a few months. And she needs a place to call home...a family environment. You're hardly ever home," she concluded.

Jack considered what she had to say. He knew she was right, but what about his baby? What would happen when the baby came? He wanted to be able to see his baby whenever he wanted to. "But what about when the baby's born?"

"We'll make a final decision then, but I don't see why they couldn't stay here with me and Katie. After all, it's a big house. I have way more space than I need," she reminded him quietly.

"That's true. I just don't see why you're doing this, he whispered. He still didn t see how this was going to work out. She hadn't said anything about how he fit into her plans, and that made Jack very nervous.

Ashley, had decided to move next to the open door, so she could hear better. She was so afraid that Sam would tell Jack how she and Sam had met. But after a minute, she went back to the stove, reluctant to listen any longer. After all, she knew what her father would say about the trouble with eavesdropping; you often heard things you wished you hadn't!

"I'm doing this because I think it's the best thing for all of us, Jack. You don't love her, and she knows it. She told me so. She needs to get over you, Jack, and living under your roof is not the way for her to do that."

Jack knew Sam was right, and he also knew that he needed to stop using Ashley as a substitute for Sam. He suddenly felt the urge to make an admission. Maybe doing so would make Sam see how much he really cared for her. He sat forward on the sofa, his forearms on his knees, bottle in one hand, his other hand reaching out toward her. And there s another thing he began.

He saw her pull back, but then their eyes locked and he gained the courage to continue. I need to stop using her as a substitute for you," he said, his hand closing in a fist that he brought back to his thigh. "I ve been doing that since the beginning, and it s not fair to her. I love YOU...have loved you for so long, that I can't ever remember a time when I didn't," he admitted quietly.

Sam's eyes shifted from his face to her glass, as tears clouded her vision. God, no matter what he had done, she still loved this man more than she ever thought possible. She had said some terrible things to him recently...things she knew were not true. And even though she tried to remember her promise to make him pay for his mistakes, Sam could feel the wall she had built between them beginning to crumble and fall.

"Jack, I'm so sorry for the things I . Just then Ashley stepped into the room to announce that dinner was ready.

"Sorry. The food's on the table," she said meekly. Jack and Sam looked up at her, both of them feeling slightly embarrassed. Sam quickly swiped the tears off her cheeks with the backs of her hands and stood up. Jack got up too.

Ashley turned around quickly and went back to the kitchen. Jack followed Sam into the dining room, where the table was set with china, crystal and silver flatware on crisp white linen. He thought it looked like the cover of one of those ladies magazines he saw by the grocery store checkout stand.

"Wow! I feel like I should have worn my gray suit," he said, and immediately regretted mentioning the suit he had worn to Sam's wedding...the suit he was wearing when he and Ashley had first met. "Sorry," he mumbled as he pulled out Sam's chair.

"It's okay, Jack. We both loved how you looked in that suit," Sam told him with a wicked smile.

Jack looked sheepishly from Sam to Ashley and saw that they were BOTH smiling. Hell! They've been discussing what clothing I look good in? What else had these two been saying about me behind my back? And how in the hell did this living arrangement come about?

Jack had lots of questions, and so he sat down at the table, feeling very nervous about how this evening would turn out.

TBC


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

The dinner had gone surprisingly well. Sam had steered their discussion to Ashley's plans to go back to school in the fall. Sam couldn't help but notice that she seemed to be reluctant to talk about it, but Sam figured she was just nervous with Jack there.

"You'll probably be able to get all the classes you need in night school, Ashley. We really need to get you a fall catalogue of classes as soon as possible, so you can start planning what classes to take," Sam suggested.

Jack was still curious as to how Ashley and Sam had gotten together, so he finally just came right out and asked the question that Ashley had been dreading.

"So, did you phone my house and get hold of Ashley, or...how did you two meet?" Jack asked, looking at Sam.

"Yes, that's exactly what I did," Sam lied, glancing quickly at Ashley, who dropped her eyes to her plate.

Sam knew the young woman was afraid Jack would be angry with her, and for some reason Sam felt she needed to protect her. What was it about Ashley that made her feel that way? Perhaps it was the same quality that had caused Jack to care about her so much?

"Why did you phone me, Sam?"

"Ah...I...eh...I was...erm " Sam had never been much good at lying, and she was even worse at it when it came to lying to the man that had been her commanding officer for more years than she liked to remember. So she was still fumbling for an explanation, when Ashley decided to bail her out by admitting what she d done.

"Sam didn't phone you, Jack. I came over here to tell Sam that she was stupid to let you go because of me," she admitted.

Jack didn't say anything at first, and Ashley's stomach began to hurt. And then he said something she hadn't expected, and he didn't seem angry at all!

"Thanks, Ashley. Sometimes I think you're much more mature at twenty-six than either of us."

Upon hearing his remark, Sam suddenly inhaled with a throat full of food. She coughed and coughed, and Jack suddenly jumped up and patted her on the back.

"Heimlich or water? he asked, before he realized she didn't have any water.

Water, Sam croaked.

Jack dashed into the kitchen, and the second he was out of the room, Ashley turned to her. "Maybe I should tell him the truth," Ashley hissed, but Sam shook her head frantically.

"Here!" Jack said as he came back, carrying a glass of water. He handed it to Sam, watching her as she took a couple of swallows. She managed to thank him, but her voice sounded scratchy.

"Better?"

"Yes, Jack. I'm fine now. Just went down the wrong pipe," she told him, repeating a phrase her father always used.

Jack kept a worried eye on Sam as he went and sat down. They ate silently for a few more minutes before Ashley spoke again.

"I can't believe how nice both of you have been to me, specially since this whole mess in my fault."

They both spoke at the same time, denying that any of this was her fault. But Ashley waved her hand at them and continued, tears glistening in her green eyes as she spoke. "I've been thinking about things, and I've made a decision about my baby. I want you to have it," she said looking from Sam to Jack and back again.

WHAT? Jack all but shouted.

"What do you mean, Ashley?" Sam asked, even though she had a pretty good idea.

"I mean that when my baby is born, I want you and Jack to adopt it. I'll go back to Georgia and get out of your hair. You won't have to pay me or anything, and I am still going to pay you back every cent you've given me, Jack," she assured the shocked man, as a tear trickled down her cheek.

"Ashley, you can't be serious. It s your baby! And besides, Jack and I aren't married. We can't adopt your baby, honey," Sam said softly.

"But you should be! You WILL be, if you both stop being so stubborn! And besides, what do I have to offer a child? And I really do want to make something of myself, and not have to depend on kind folks like you the rest of my life," she choked out. Now her tears were really falling, her chest heaving as she fought hard to keep her composure.

"Ashley, honey, I think you're just a bit overwhelmed with things right now, but everything will work out. You don't have to give up your baby in order to make something of yourself," Sam told her calmly, placing a hand over hers.

Jack just sat there, silently listening to the two women, but suddenly he spoke. "Wait, Sam! She may have something here. If we adopt the baby...MY baby...we can give it a good home, and Ashley can continue with her plans. She's young, and she deserves a chance at life. Besides, it s my fault she s in this mess. Sam, you know I love you, and you know I would be a good father to Katie and a good husband to you."

"What are you saying, Jack?" Sam asked. She was fairly certain, but she had to hear him say the words.

"Will you marry me, Sam?"

Even though she d dreamed about this day for years, suddenly Sam felt an extreme sense of panic. 'My God, had Jack O'Neill really just asked her to marry him? Was she ready for this? Were THEY ready for this?

"We've never even dated," she blurted out with a nervous giggle.

True, he responded. Jack had to admit, no matter how ludicrous it might sound, that Sam was right. He and Sam had never spent much time together, except while on duty or in the company of the Daniel and Teal c, so maybe they needed to do that in order to see if they had anything in common besides their jobs...and one hour of some pretty hot sex, of course.

That they had nothing in common beside their jobs had been a point that Sam had made when she'd kicked him out of her house, and it was an issue that had always concerned Jack.

Sam had finally found her tongue, and now another of her worries spilled from her mouth. "How do I know some other woman won't catch your eye in a month, six months, a year?" As Sam asked the question, she realized that this had her more worried than she had realized. Was she enough woman to keep a man like Jack happy?

"Sam, you know me better than..." Jack was about to say that she knew him better than to think he'd turn to some other woman. But that was exactly what he had done! He quickly did an about face. "Sam, all I can do is promise that I won't even look at another woman from now on," he said, hanging his head in shame.

If Jack and Sam had looked at Ashley just then, they would have seen her face pale at his vow.

"I still don't know if I can trust you, Jack O'Neill, but I guess we can try dating and see how it goes," she offered.

Jack's face lit up like a birthday cake covered in candles. "Okay, then we'll date! I can date! I haven't dated in a long while, but I'd be willing to try it," Jack effused nervously, as he jumped up and paced around the dining table.

"Well, okay then," Sam agreed, giving him one of her mega-watt smiles.

"We gonna try this then?" he asked as he stopped beside her chair.

"Yes, I guess we are," Sam said with a laugh, and Jack bent down and hugged her, pulling her up out of her chair.

While the two of them stood face to face, staring into each other s eyes, Ashley quietly got up and left the room. Now that she had the two of them on the same page, she thought she should feel much better. But that was not how she was feeling.

Friday night came, and Jack and Sam were about to go out on their first date. Sam was trying to find something to wear that didn't make her look like a sausage or blimp. This was the fifth dress she had tried on, and she was having trouble with the damned zipper!

"Ashley, will you come in here and zip me up, please!" Sam called out, smoothing the dress down over her hips. Maybe if she sucked in her tummy, the dress would sort of fit.

"Oh, hell!" Sam was standing in front of a full length mirror in her bedroom, staring at herself when Ashley walked in.

"What's wrong?" Ashley reached out and began to pull the zipper up, but soon it was clear that it wasn't going to close.

"That's what's wrong!

"Maybe you shouldn't try wearing this style of dress? What about something a little less form-fitting," Ashley suggested, and Sam gave her a dirty look.

It was easy for such a small, young thing to make light of her situation. SHE didn't know what it was like to look like a whale for months and now have to face the fact that all her old clothes were way too tight!

"You mean something like a tent?"

"Very funny, Sam." Ashley rummaged through Sam's closet until she found a skirt she liked.

"What about this pretty, flowered skirt with that orange blouse you said you like so much? The skirt has an elastic waist, so it will be more comfortable."

Sam sighed. This just wasn't the way she had pictured herself looking on her first date with Jack O'Neill, and she had thought about it a lot. But this was real life, and they seemed to be getting everything all wrong...the cart before the horse so to speak. He had already lived in her house and even slept in her bed, and they'd had sex...well, sort of. And now they were going to try dating? Okay, it was her fault for suggesting it, so why wasn t she feeling more enthusiastic?

"Okay. Let's see the skirt. But if this doesn't fit, I'm not going! Twenty minutes later, wearing the outfit Ashley had suggested, Sam was putting the final touches on her makeup.

When the door bell rang, Ashley answered the door to find an obviously fidgety Jack O'Neill pacing back and forth on the front porch. He kept one hand behind his back as he stepped into the house, and Ashley thought he looked nervous and therefore adorable.

"What 'cha hiding behind your back, Jack?" she asked, smiling at his uneasiness and his silly, lopsided grin.

"I got her flowers. See!" he said, holding the mixed bouquet out for he to see. "Do you think she'll like them? I wasn't sure which flower she liked the best, so I got one of each."

"Nice," she said as her smile faded. This was even harder than she thought it would be. "Want me to put them in some water?" she asked, wanting to get out of there as quickly as possible.

"No! No, that's all right. I wanna hand them to her myself," he said just as Sam came walking down the hallway.

Jack's handed her the flowers, and Sam accepted them with a bright smile. She hadn t expected Jack to think of buying he flowers.

"You look great, Sam," he told her as he watched her sink her nose into the blossoms.

"Thanks! So do you," she said, looking him up and down. He was wearing a pair of black Levis and a white button-up-the-front, short-sleeved shirt. The white shirt provided a stark contrast to his tan neck and arms...something that did not escape Sam s notice. She had spent probably a thousand hours staring at that neck and those arms, when they were hunkered down, hiding from one enemy or the other, on distant planets, but she d never seen them like this before. Checking him out was something she never would have done when he was her CO, but now she could look till her heart s content.

"Here, let me take those, Sam. I'll put them in some water," Ashley offered, reaching for the flowers.

"Okay. There are vases in the bottom of the china cabinet." Use one of the crystal ones, and put them on the dining room table," Sam instructed.

"Have a nice time you two," Ashley told them as she turned to go.

"I'm sure we will. You've got our cell numbers, if you need us," Sam called out a bit nervously.

"I know! Now go and have fun," Ashley called back.

"Ready?" Sam asked him, as she looped her arm through Jack s.

Jack patted her hand and smirked at her, putting on his most cool expression. But he wasn't feeling very cool inside. He still couldn't believe this was finally happening. He and Sam were going on a date, for crying out loud!

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be," Jack admitted with a quaking voice. Then he walked her out to his truck.

TBC


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

The first few minutes went fairly well. Sam asked him about his job. She had been keeping up with what was going on in her lab and was very eager to return to work. In fact the longer she was away from it, the more she couldn't imagine not having the SGC in her life!

He told her about all the reports and forms he actually had to read, since Walter was taking some time off. Sam suggested he was tired of flying a desk, and that's when he surprised her.

I m going to return soon, very soon.

"But what will you do, Jack?" She knew how quickly he got bored.

"Well, I hope to spend a lot of time with you and Katie, and of course with the baby when it comes. And I'm sure I can get hired by the military to work as a consultant at the SGC. I'd like to train new recruits for off-world missions," he told her.

I think that would be perfect for you! Who better to train them? she asked rhetorically.

Then Sam had asked him what he'd planned for the evening, and he told her about his favorite Italian restaurant, a homey place where they had awesome food and a friendly staff. He had taken Sara and Charlie there. Suddenly Jack thought maybe this was not the right kind of place for their first date. Maybe it should be some place fancier?

"Or we could go some place else," Jack offered, but Sam had patted his free hand and told him it sounded wonderful.

"Also there's Uncle Emil, who strolls around and plays the violin. He's really good too!"

Sam smiled at his enthusiasm, again thinking what a child Jack could be sometimes.

"He takes requests," Jack added, hoping she wasn t just trying to be agreeable.

"He does? Then we'll have to think of something to request," Sam said as she turned and gave him one of her coquettish smiles, the one where dimples appeared in that perfect face. God, how he loved that face!

"Do you like violin music?"

"Yes. I like all kinds of music, she assured him, wishing he would relax.

Jack realized this was something he didn't know about her. In all the years he had known her, he'd never even heard her sing. There had been some humming once, but thankfully that period of her life was over now.

"Tell me what you like," Jack requested, then mentally slapped himself for asking her a loaded question.

"You mean what I like in music, Jack?" she asked. And there was that smile again!

"Yah, what you like in the way of music," Jack qualified, although his randy libido was currently in bedroom mode. So he concentrated on her answer, and his body slowly began to calm down again.

"Well, I like almost any instrument, but piano is probably my favorite. Then guitar and violin I guess. But what I really love to listen to the most are show tunes from the old standards, like Gypsy, Mame, The King And I. But I also like the newer shows too, like Les Miserable, Phantom, and The Lion King."

"Really? I never took you for a musical fan, Sam. We'll have to go and see a musical on Broadway some time. Would you like that?"

"I would love that! But you don't have to do that for me," she said, wondering if he really liked musicals, or was he just being polite.

"I would do it just for you, but I would also enjoy it. I like musicals too! Les Miserable is probably my all time favorite."

General I mean Jack I had no idea!"

Yep! I m not just a pretty face. I have a brain too, he said, smirking. "Sam, are you at all sorry that you gave up the Air Force? I mean I know you did it mainly for me. I feel sort of..."

"Shush! I did it for US, Jack! I would do ANYTHING for us! I guess I haven't made that clear to you lately," she admitted.

Jack and Sam's eyes met and held, and for a few seconds they totally forgot where they were...which was sitting at a traffic light that had just turned green several seconds ago. Someone in a car behind them honked, pulling Jack back to reality.

"Oops," was all he said, and Sam smiled and patted his hand again.

Then she slipped her hand into his, and it remained there for the rest of the short drive to Luigi's Trattoria.

The second Jack walked in the front door with Sam on his arm, a plump, attractive, gray-haired woman of about seventy years of age came over to welcome them.

"General Jack! How nice it is to see you once again!" she bubbled.

Jack leaned down and placed a kiss on her round cheek. "Mama Tripi! Come va?"

"Life is good! And I can see by the lovely Signorina on your arm that life is good for you too."

"True, so true. This is Samantha."

"Please call me Sam, Sam said offering the woman her hand.

Mama Tripi took Sam s hand in both of hers and shook her head. "But what kind of name is that for such a lovely young woman?"

"Almost no one calls me Samantha, except for my father. And that s when he's upset with me."

I shall call you Samantha, and from now on it will remind you of my ristorante, the wonderful food and the handsome company! Eh?"

"Yes, I like that idea."

They were shown to Jack's favorite table, the one back in a dark corner. Usually he came in here alone and wanted to sit in the dark and watch the couples and families that came here to dine. But tonight he was with the woman he loved, and he wanted... Well, he really wanted to be alone with her, but for now he just wanted a small table, in a dark corner where they could talk and hold hands and maybe kiss...if the moment seemed right.

Jack was about to order a bottle of wine, when he remembered that Sam didn t drink because she was nursing.

"What would you like to drink, Sam?"

"For now just water will do. I might have a glass of Chianti with my meal.

"Bring me a bottle of Stella Artois and a glass of ice water for Samantha, Jack said as he stared at Sam. Here in the candle light she looked almost unreal, and he couldn t take his eyes off her.

I get you water and you can let me know about the wine. Mama Tripi went off to get their drinks, while Jack reached for Sam's hand where it lay on the table. Possessively he wrapped his long fingers around it.

"I thought you couldn't drink alcohol while you're nursing?" he asked her, one finger absentmindedly stroking her palm. He remembered that Sara didn't touch alcohol the whole time she was pregnant or until she stopped nursing Charlie.

"I can, but only occasionally. Actually women in other cultures drink alcohol all the time, and there is no proof that it harms the baby in any way. The alcohol is actually absorbed by the mother's body before it has a chance to reach the breast. Of course that is only true when it's consumed in moderation."

"But whatever I eat or drink does affect the taste of my milk, and I've read that the flavor of wine and hard liquor doesn't really taste too good to a baby. Beer, on the other hand, is said to enhance the flavor of breast milk. But of course I can't speak from experience."

All this talk of breasts caused Jack to cross and uncross his legs, just as Mama Tripi spoke up. She had obviously heard Sam's explanation as she set the beer bottle and glass of water down on the table, and now she wanted to know more. "You have a baby? Jack, why did you not tell me you are a father again?"

"Oh, no Mama. Sam has a baby. The baby's not mine." Jack thought Senora Tripi looked sad and disappointed, and suddenly he was feeling sad and disappointed too.

"You two just friends then?" she asked uncertainly, but there was a hopeful twinkle in her eye.

Mama Tripi was known for her attempts at match making, and had tried to set Jack up several times with her nieces and grand daughters.

"No, we're much more than just friends," Sam assured her. "You see...my husband died a couple of months ago, a month before Katie was born. I've known Jack for a long time, but we're just now beginning to explore our feelings for one another," Sam admitted openly as she squeezed Jack's hand.

For some strange reason Sam didn't feel strange talking about such private matters with this woman. She understood why Jack liked this place so much. It sort of reminded her of going to grandma's house and having a heart-to-heart talk with her. Afterward she d always felt better somehow. And that was something Sam hadn't experienced in a long, long time.

"Ah, I see! Then I will take a your order and leave the two of you alone!"

After Jack ordered their dinner, in Italian, they spent a lot of time just staring into each others eyes. Gradually the small establishment began to fill up with its usual Friday night crowd, and it was obvious that some of them recognized Jack as the man who always sat in the shadows by himself. But if Jack was aware of them staring and whispering, he made no comment, and his eyes rarely left Sam s face.

"You always manage to surprise me, Jack O'Neill," she said, referring to the Italian he had spoken with such ease, and the fact that he liked musicals.

"Oh? Is that a good thing? Because if it isn't, I could try not to do it anymore," he said quite sincerely, and Sam laughed and put her other hand on top of their two joined ones.

"Believe me, Jack, it's a good thing. I like you just the way you are," Sam assured him, leaning over the small table toward him.

"And I like you the way you are, Samantha," he said in a low voice, as he leaned toward her. Her breasts almost spilled out of her blouse, and it was all he could do not to reach out and take one into his mouth. But instead he pressed his lips lightly to hers.

A young girl brought them a basket filled with piping hot bread sticks and a small glass of red wine for Sam, just to try , she said with a shy smile. And then Sam heard the sound of a violin. Turning to look behind her, she saw an old man walking between the tables, a violin tucked under his chin.

That s Uncle Luigi. He s the owners brother, Jack explained, and then he shoved a piece of bread into his mouth. He thought things were going well so far, but he was still worried that he d do or say something wrong.

When the violinist reached their table, Sam smiled at the old man, and he nodded and smiled back. And though she didn t know the name of the song he was playing, she recognized the tune and she liked it very much.

Soon their salads arrived, and both Jack and Sam dug into them.

Sam hadn't eaten much earlier in the day due to a case of nerves, and now she couldn't seem to cram the food into her mouth fast enough. The bread had just enough garlic on it, and the salad, which consisted of cherry tomatoes, lettuce, black olives and cucumbers, sprinkled with an oil and vinegar dressing, was one of the best she d ever tasted.

"This salad is fantastic, Jack!"

"They make the dressing themselves," he told her, scarfing down huge mouthfuls. He had been feeling so nervous, that he hadn t realized how hungry he was.

The salads were followed by plates piled high with hot and spicy ziti and sausage Bolognaise for Jack and ravioli di Portobello for Sam. They tasted each others entrees, holding forkfuls of food out for the other to try, and they laughed when Sam got sauce on Jack s face.

And when they had eaten all they could hold, Sam declared she had never eaten such delicious food anywhere ever before, and Jack leaned back in his chair and patted his belly with a satisfied smile on his face. They begged off dessert, but Mama Tripi brought them a free square of tiramisu for dessert. They each took a couple of bites, just to be polite.

After dinner the two said 'bona notte' to their host and hostess, and then they left the little restaurant feeling pleasantly full and very relaxed.

As Jack gave Sam a helping hand up into his truck, he asked her if she wanted to go dancing.

"We could work off some of that food," he added. She fastened her seat belt, and Jack shut the door. By the time he had climbed in behind the wheel and fastened his seat belt, Sam still hadn t answered him. We don t have to go dancing. I just though you might like to.

"Dancing would be nice, but can we go some place with music for people our age?" she asked, and then she wished she could take it back.

"OUR age? Which age is that? You realize, don't you, that I'm fifteen years older than you? Hell, I'm OLD, while you are in the prime of life!"

"Nonsense, Jack, you're as young as you think you are...or in your case, as young as you act."

"What does that mean?" he asked, feeling a bit insulted by her comment. Did she mean he was childish?

"Well, you DO act like a child at times."

"No I don't!"

"You do too!

I don t.

You do! cried in frustration. How often had she seen him pout when he didn t get his way? How often had he complained of being bored on a mission, whining like a little boy, and how often had he and Daniel argued like two kids on the playground?

Don t.

No, I am not doing that with you! No wonder you get along so well with a twenty-year-old," Sam said, and then she froze.

"A twenty-year-old? Who would that be?" he asked, his hand poised on the key in the ignition.

"No one! I was just kidding, Jack, she replied, forcing a smile.

"Sam, if that was a joke, I don't get it. Wait a minute! You re not talking about Ashley, are you? She's twenty-six, not twenty."

Jack saw the look on Sam s face, and he knew she was keeping something from him. But it couldn t be that, could it? "She IS twenty-six, isn't she?"

"Jack, now don't get upset. She wanted to tell you the truth, but I told her not to."

"Jesus H. Christ! Ashley's only twenty? Holy Hannah, that means I had an affair with a...a...a child! Now Jack, calm down.

How can I calm down? Oh, saints preserve me, I'm goin to Hell for sure now," Jack said as ran his hands through his hair in disbelief.

"It doesn't really matter, Jack. She's above the age of consent," Sam reminded him.

"It doesn't matter? It matters to me, Sam! I had SEX with her, for God's sake!" he yelled.

Jack was so upset that he couldn't think about anything else. They sat there for several minutes, while Sam tried to talk sense to him. She told him over and over again that he couldn't have known...that anyone would believe that Ashley was older, because she is so mature in so many ways. But nothing Sam said made him feel any better.

"I'm sorry, Sam. If you don't mind, I think I'll just take you home," he told her.

"If that's what you want, Jack," she said quietly, but deep down inside she was very disappointed, and mad at herself too. Their date had been going so well, and then she had gone and ruined it.

When they reached her house Jack walked her to the door, but she could tell his mind was on Ashley and not on her.

"I had a really nice time, she said, attempting to lighten the mood, but it didn t work. He mumbled a good night, and then he quickly walked back to his truck and drove away, leaving her standing on the front porch.

TBC


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-one

Ashley had gone to bed earlier than usual, since she wanted to get an early start at Daniel's in the morning. She was just climbing into bed when she heard what sounded like Jack's truck. She went to her bedroom window, which looked out on the large front lawn. She could see his truck sitting in the drive way, but she couldn't see the front door. She just assumed that Jack and Sam had decided to spend the rest of their evening, and maybe the night, together here at Sam's house.

But suddenly she saw the truck backing down the driveway. Jack was leaving? Why would he be leaving so early? It was only nine o'clock.

Ashley felt like she'd be prying if she went out and asked Sam what had caused Jack to leave so early. But her curiosity got the better of her, and she decided to make a foray into the kitchen on the pretense of getting a bottle of water. As she passed Katie's room, she saw Sam standing by the crib, looking down at her daughter.

Ashley walked on by and went on to the kitchen. She deliberately made sounds loud enough that she knew Sam would hear. Maybe Sam would join her, and then Ashley could ask her how the date went. That wouldn't be too nosy, would it, she reasoned. She was just getting a bottle of water from the refrigerator, when Sam came into the room. She turned and took one look at Sam's face, and that was enough to tell her that the date had not gone as Sam had hoped.

"Sam! I didn't expect you until later."

"Yeah, I didn't expect to be home till much later," Sam said, the disappointment evident in her voice.

Sam walked up and grabbed the refrigerator door handle before it shut, and then she took out of bottle of water and began unscrewing the cap. Ashley bent over the counter, pen in hand, as she pretended to be adding something to the shopping list that she had removed from the refrigerator door. Damn it, she wished Sam would say something. But when she just stood there drinking the water, Ashley couldn't stand the suspense any longer.

"So...why are you home so early?"

Ashley waited impatiently for Sam's response, hoping it was not bad news. She knew that Sam and Jack had been dancing around each other for years, and she thought it was about time they both got what they really wanted, even if it meant she wouldn't. She knew she had almost ruined things for them, but she honestly thought they had gotten past that. So what went wrong?

"We...we had a very nice time, Ashley. He just...he got some news that kind of upset him is all," Sam said. She had been the one to insist Ashley not tell Jack her real age, and then she had gone and let it slip.

"Oh? Is everything okay at the base?"

"Yes, everything's fine at the base. I'm tired, Ashley, so I'm going to bed now," Sam told her. And without really answering Ashley's question, Sam went to her bedroom.

Ashley just stood there staring at the spot where Sam had been. There was definitely something wrong, and she wanted to know...no, she needed to know what it was! These two people had become very important to her, and not just because of what they could mean to her unborn child!

Ashley rubbed an affectionate hand over her belly. She still wasn't showing, but she figured it wouldn't be long before she was as big as a cow. She wasn't looking forward to the months she'd be unable to fit in to all of her pretty clothes. Buying clothes was her only real vice, and most of them had been bought during her time as a dancer, when she had the extra money and the body for them.

Now she couldn't justify spending money on anything she didn't really need. A few maternity tops and maybe some Jeans were the only articles of clothing she intended to buy with Jack's money, and even purchasing those would make her feel guilty.

Ashley decided that since it was still early she would phone Jack and ask him what was wrong. Ashley sat on the sofa in the formal living room, the only light filtering in from the foyer. He picked up on the first ring.

"Hello."

"Hi, Jack! It's me, Ashley."

"What do you want? It's late," he said in a clipped, gruff voice.

"Oh, sorry! It's not ten yet, so I thought..."

Jack interrupted her, and she immediately heard the anger in his voice.

"What do you want, Ashley?"

"I...I just wondered what was wrong, Jack? Sam and you came back awfully early, and she said you were upset...that you'd gotten some bad news," she said, wishing she hadn't phoned him at all. "But...never mind. I can tell you're not in the mood to talk right now. I'll call you some other time."

"No, I don't think you should call me. If you've got anything to tell me...about the baby...just have Sam or Daniel relay the message to me."

Then he was silent for a couple of beats before he spoke again. Ashley had no idea how to respond anyway, so she patiently waited for him to continue. But when he did, her stomach lurched and she thought she would throw up.

"Sam told me your real age, Ashley. Why in the hell did you lie to me?"

And there it was, the yelling and the angry shouting that she couldn't bear to hear coming from someone she loved and respected. Never the less she was able to rattle off a bunch of excuses, her heart beating a mile a minute in her chest.

"Jack, I'm really very sorry I lied to you. But by the time I met you, lying about my age had become a habit. I changed my age when I left home. I was still only seventeen at the time. I had to lie Jack, or go on making $2.00 an hour as a waitress. Being a dancer enabled me to pay for school and to have a nice place to live. And none of the club managers would have even talked to me, if they suspected I was that young. Besides, I never thought we'd get so close. I didn't plan on sleeping with you, when I picked you up that day on the highway, you know."

Jack let out a huge sigh. He knew it couldn't have been easy for her all those years on her own. And no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't stay mad at her.

"I'm sorry, honey. I just went kinda crazy when I found out how young you are. I shouldn't take this out on you or on Sam. I wonder if she's still awake," he said, more to himself than to Ashley.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure she is! Would you like to speak to her?"

"Ya, that'd be nice."

"Okay! Don't hang up!"

Ashley literally ran through the big house carrying the handset. She stopped abruptly and knocked on Sam's partially open door.

"Yes?"

Ashley nudged the door open another foot and stuck her head into the room. Sam was sitting up on the left side of her bed, a big book across her lap.

"Sam, Jack's on the phone. He'd like to talk to you," Ashley told her.

"Okay! I'll take the call on the phone in here," she told the girl, and Ashley went back to the kitchen.

At least Jack wasn't as mad at her now, so she thought she'd be able to get to sleep. Ashley took her bottle of water and headed off to bed.

"Hello, Jack?"

"Ya, it's me...the biggest jerk on the face of the earth," he said, and Sam chuckled.

"No, not a big jerk. Just a guy who's entirely too hard on himself," she said, and then her breath caught as she thought about him...hard and all by himself.

"Jack, are you in bed?"

"No, stretched out on the sofa, why?"

"Because I was just thinking that if you were here with me now, we could be...together."

She wanted to say "we could be having sex," but she just couldn't bring herself to say it!

God, would it always be so difficult to talk to this man like a man instead of like her CO!

"We would be together, if I was there with you," he said, in a teasing tone, his smile evident in his voice.

He knew exactly what she was thinking, but he wasn't about to help her overcome her sudden shyness. In fact, the thought of making Samantha Carter squirm was having a very arousing effect on him!

"You know what I mean, Jack," she said quietly, a blush spreading from her breasts, up to her face.

"No, I'm not sure that I do, Sam. Why don't you explain it to me? In great detail."

"Now you're just making fun of me," she complained.

If Jack could have seen her, he would have known that her full lips were puckered in a pout, the likes of which Jack O'Neill had never seen on Sam Carter's face.

"Making fun of you is not what I want to do, Sam."

"What do you want to do, Jack?"

"I would like to make love to you, Sam. But since you're there, and I'm here, what say I tell you what I would do to you, if I were there?"

"Yes, I think that sounds like a plan, S...Jack," Sam said, catching herself before calling him sir.

"Are you lying down on the bed, Sam?"

She quickly pushed the big volume on wormhole physics off her thighs and onto the bed. Then she slid down until she was laying flat on her back, her head on a pillow.

"Yes, I'm lying down."

"Good. What are you wearing, Sam?"

"A pair of pink, flannel shorts and a matching tank top."

"Hmmmm, I like the sound of that, Sam. I want you to slide your hand up under the top and pinch your nipples for me, Sam," he told her, feeling his erection beginning to grow.

Sam switched hands, holding the phone in her left hand, while the right one did exactly as Jack had ordered. She had always been good at following Jack's orders, and now was no different. She had to shove her hand up under the bottom seam of her bra cup before she could reach her tender nubs, but she wasn't going to let the inconvenience of wearing a nursing bra stuffed with pads ruin her fun!

For a couple of minutes she tugged on her nipples and rolled them between her fingers, until eventually rivulets of milk trickled down her breasts and tickled her ribcage. It felt like when Katie was nursing, only better. And although she knew the milk was probably going to leave a mess on the bed, she really didn't care.

"Are your nipples stiff and aching, Sam?"

"Yes, they ache for you, Jack," she choked out, her breathing becoming shallow and fast as she felt herself becoming more and more aroused.

And by this time Jack was feeling plenty aroused himself. He leaned back against a pillow on his sofa and spread his legs wide, one hand finding his hardness inside his sweat pants. He pulled his hand up along the length of his erection and groaned. Sam heard him.

"Jack, are you hard?"

"Yes! God, yes, so hard Sam," he assured her. "Now I want you to use your fingers to get yourself off, Sam. Rub your fingers through your pussy and get them wet. Are you wet Sam?"

The truth was that she was very wet and had been since she first heard his deep, masculine voice. She just closed her eyes and did as he asked. And soon she was rocking her hips and imagining Jack on top of her.

"Yes! Wet for you, Jack. Mmmm, that feels so good, Jack."

"Good! Now take your middle finger and rub your clit, slowly at first. Round and round. Keep wetting it in your juices and then work it. Work your clit for me, baby! Are you feeling it?"

He slid his hand up over the slit in his penis and his hips jerked, as the muscles in his ass flexed and released. Then he spread his pre-cum down the shaft and continued to stroke himself up and down, his head pressing back into the sofa. Jack didn't know for sure how ishe/i was feeling, but he was about to blow!

"Yes! Oh, God! Yes," she hissed, and then she heard Jack's choked reply.

"Sam! Come for me, honey! NOW," he ordered.

And then they both were coming, crying out the other's name. Jack slowly let go of his penis and let his hand rest on his stomach. Sam moaned and brought her hand back up to her breast, giving the nipple one last tug before turning onto her side, knees drawn up to her belly. And as their body's began to calm down, they both felt compelled to tell the other exactly how they felt.

"Sam, I love you, honey! Always have!"

"And I love you, Jack! And I'm so sorry about all this mess!"

"It's okay, Sam. You have nothing to apologize for. Just keep telling me you love me for the rest of my life, will you?"

"I will! I promise!"

"Good-night, sweetheart," Jack whispered into the phone.

"Good-night, Jack," she whispered in return as her eyes closed.

Ashley, who had gotten up to pee, had heard Sam's declaration of love through the partially open doorway. Even though hearing it had hurt her, she was relieved that these two good people would finally have a life together. Sam and Jack would be okay now, and her baby would have a good home with two parents who loved it.

Jack woke up the next morning with a pain in his neck, quite literally! He had fallen asleep on the damned sofa! Then he remembered what had transpired right before he fell asleep, and all thoughts of the pain he had felt quickly disappeared.

"Hot damn," he shouted as he stood up. Then he realized that he was very much in need of a shower, so he went into the bathroom and showered and shampooed his hair. He brushed his teeth and was about to shave, when the doorbell rang.

The chiming brought him running out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his slender hips and shave cream all over his face and down his neck. He wondered who on earth would be coming to visit him early on a Saturday morning.

He was shocked to find a beaming Samantha Carter standing on his doorstep.

"Sam! Eh...as you can see...not expecting company," he said, looking down at himself.

For some reason, seeing her now, just hours after having phone sex with her, was sort of embarrassing!

"Did I interrupt anything," she asked with a mischievous smile on her pretty face, and Jack smiled back, a hole appearing in the white foamy surface that was his face.

"No! I was just finishing up. Come on in! I'll be done in a minute. I just need to shave," he told her, backing up so she could enter.

As she stepped past him and into the entry foyer, she sniffed the air around him, like a bitch in heat, he thought for a split second. And damn it if he wasn't getting turned on!

He quickly closed the door and made a hasty retreat, calling out as he went.

"Just make yourself at home, Sam! I'll be right back!"

"Or I could help you," she called out, and Jack almost slid to a halt on the wooden hallway floor.

He turned around and looked at her. He thought she looked great! But then to him Sam always looked great. She was dressed in an old pair of faded blue jeans and a blouse, sort of like the ones girls used to wear during the seventies. If he remembered correctly, they were called peasant blouses. It was white and filmy with red and blue designs sewn around the neckline and around the short sleeves. And he could see her bra through it.

"Help me? You mean you want to shave me," he asked, trying to force his eyes away from her chest.

"Sure! I know how to shave a man," she told him. And even though he wondered exactly when and who she had shaved, he didn't ask.

"Okay. Come on," he said, and Sam followed him into the bathroom, one soft hand coming to rest in the middle of his bare back.

And now her touch was making him get eve harder. Would she notice? Did he really care if she did?

Sam made him turn around and sit down on the toilet seat lid. Then she began shaving his face, her legs straddling his thighs, a position which made his libido think of nothing else but ripping her jeans off and pulling her down on his erection.

In a couple of minutes she was done. She took a hand towel that was hanging on the towel bar near the sink and wet it. Then she wiped away the excess foam from his face and neck very carefully and lovingly. When she was all finished, she kissed the tip of his nose.

"There! All done."

Jack put both hands on her hips and pulled her down onto his lap, her breasts crushed to his chest as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. And now his erection was trapped between their bodies, and Jack was enjoying the pressure immensely!

"Best lookin barber I've ever seen," he said kissing her nose in return.

"I hope so! I mean I would hate to think your barbers were women!"

"Oh, you would, would you? And why is that?"

"Because I don't want any other women touching your face...or any other parts of you! From now on, Jack O'Neill, you are mine to touch, and no one else's," she declared, rocking her hips to and fro.

The little witch obviously knew exactly what she was doing, he thought with delight.

"Is that so? And what gives you the right to..."

But before he could finish his smart-ass comeback, Sam pressed her lips to his, effectively cutting off his words. When they broke to take a breath, Jack still had something to say.

"I could get used to this, Sam," he told her, as she began kissing his face.

"Used to what exactly," she asked, her soft, warm lips leaving a trail of kisses from his mouth, over his nose, around his eyes and across his forehead. Her breath was warm and sweet and tickled his skin enticingly.

"Used to having you in my house, in my bathroom, shaving me...having sex with me in my bed," he said, and her eyebrows rose in a very successful imitation of their old friend Teal'c.

"Having sex with you in your bed? But I haven't had sex with you in your bed."

"No, not yet, but you could."

"Ah...I can't, Jack. At least not for another two weeks," she informed him with a look of disappointment on her face. She had been disappointed when Janet had told her to wait a while longer to give the episiotomy a chance to heal properly.

"Damn! Two more weeks? Well, as I mentioned to you once before, not all sex involves penetration, Sam. And I'm getting kind of uncomfortable here," he said, wagging his eyebrows at her. Suddenly her whole body shuddered as she visualized herself giving him a blow job right there in the bathroom.

"Well...I guess we could fool around a little," she said with a giggle, and Jack smirked back at her.

"Now we're talkin!"

Sam held onto his shoulders as she stood up. Then he stood up and pulled the towel from around his lower half, and Sam just stood there staring down at his beautiful, huge erection.

"Oh, my God," she said quietly.

"You see I have quite a problem," he stated smugly.

"I can see that! Holy Hannah!"

"Still scare you" he asked, pulling her into his arms, so they were literally face to face.

"Yes, a little," she admitted breathlessly, as Jack crushed her to him, pressing his rock-hard shaft between their bodies.

"Then it's a good thing we have to take it slow," he told her, bending down to bite the muscle in her shoulder.

Sam's head automatically bent down toward his, as she moaned low and long.

"Come on, let's get you out of these clothes," he suggested, as he began to lift the loose blouse up and over her head.

He pulled it off and tossed it onto the bathroom counter. Then he turned her around and guided her toward the bedroom, his hands resting at her waist.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-two

It had been a few weeks since their first and only sexual encounter, and the closer they came to actually doing it, the more nervous Sam became.

After helping her out of her jeans, Jack began a slow exploration of her body, almost seeming to want to absorb her with all of his senses, not just sight With her standing between his knees, Sam was treated to tender, moist kisses on her arms, hands, belly, ribcage, and anywhere he could reach from his seated position on the bed.

Then he spun her around and plied her backside with the same warming caresses. With his lips pressed to her creamy skin he unfastened her nursing bra, and Sam let the straps slip off her arms before she caught it up in her hands and tossed it onto the nearby night table.

She couldn't wait until she could wear something less utilitarian and more feminine, but Jack didn't seem to really care. In fact he seemed very content to finally be getting another taste of Samantha Carter. So when he turned her around and gazed up at her large breasts with the small areolas and pert, pink nipples, he actually hummed with anticipation before sucking one taut nipple into his mouth, and then letting it slip out of his mouth with a pop.

Then he nuzzled the top of her white panties, pulling the elastic down just enough to allow him to kiss the smooth skin just above her curls, before gazing up at her serene face. She was absolutely gorgeous! Even though she still had a few pounds to lose, Jack thought he had never seen a more splendid female figure, and he had seen quite a few. With her slightly rounded, post-baby belly and her full, voluptuous breasts, she was everything he had ever dreamed of and more...a living, breathing Aphrodite!

Mesmerized by her beauty he rubbed his face over the skin of the underside of her breasts and inhaled her scent, while his hands scoured whatever parts he could reach, teasing and torturing her with his long fingers and dexterous thumbs.

Sam moaned in ecstasy when his thin, sculpted lips wrapped around one turgid nipple before sucking it into his mouth. Her hands went around his head in an almost vice-like grip, as she pressed him closer to her, wishing he could devour her. She could never remember feeling quite like this with Pete or anyone else. And that realization only enforced what she already knew...that this man was the right one for her...always had been...always would be.

As they lay together on the bed, Jack continued his exquisite torture of her body, pressing one knee between her legs as he plied her chest, neck and face with kisses. Sam groaned as she felt his thigh pressing into her mons, her fingers gripping his biceps. A part of her wanted to tell him to just rip her panties off and fuck her. Why wait, her fevered brain said, but her better judgment prevailed.

She could feel his large erection trapped between their bodies, as Jack made love to her with his mouth and hands. And just when she thought she might actually come from his kisses alone, she felt his fingers slipping down inside her panties and into her sex. He gently fondled her, being exceedingly careful with her tender tissues, as his name began to roll off her lips...repeated like a sort of mantra as her body reacted to his touches. She quickly felt that familiar tingling low in her belly. And although she tried to will herself not to come yet, she found herself falling over the edge, her muscles clinching and contracting in a short but very definite orgasm.

Suddenly she was overcome by a need to touch him...to give him the kind of attention that he was so unselfishly giving her. One of her hands found its way down to his erection, clutching it tightly before sliding up and down it's length repeatedly, until Jack was moaning her name.

"Sam! Oh, Sam! God, I wanna fuck you so bad! Let me put it between your legs like last time," he begged, and Sam laid back on the bed and spread her legs, welcoming Jack between them.

With his erection held firmly between her thighs, Sam closed her legs. He supported most of his upper body weight on his hands, thrusting his hips again and again, as he desperately sought completion. She could see tiny drops of perspiration form on his brow as he began moving more quickly, frantic to find release.

After what seemed like an eternity, his movements stopped and he sort of froze, the veins standing out in his neck, his face flushed red with exertion. And Sam was worried that he was giving up. But then he grunted, and with one final thrust she felt him come, his balls throbbing against her thighs as his penis deposited his cum onto her panties and on the bed under her.

Afterward he slumped down on top of Sam, and she held him tightly in her arms, enjoying the moment. It wasn't long before he remembered where he was and that she might be uncomfortable. Jack patted her hip and Sam opened her thighs, releasing his now flaccid penis. He lifted up and flipped over onto his back, letting out a huge sigh of relief.

"Good?" she asked, hoping he wasn't too disappointed. She could only imagine how much he wanted to fuck her, but for now they would have to do things like this. Was it enough for him? She really needed to know.

"Ya, sure," he told her, reaching to take her hand in his. He prayed she'd never know about him and Ashley and how he'd fucked the girl time and time again, when he couldn't be with Sam. She had never really asked him how many times he'd slept with Ashley, and he wasn't about to bring it up!

She could tell by his tone that he was thinking about something.

"I'm sorry I can't..."

"Shhhh. It was fine, honey. You don't have to be sorry for anything," he assured her as he turned on his side facing her.

He rested his chin on her shoulder before quietly speaking reassuring words, his lips tickling her ear.

"Just you wait! When you're fully recovered, I'm gonna fuck you good, and you're gonna come so hard that you'll see stars," he promised her, and Sam blushed at his words.

"I don't doubt that, Jack," she told him honestly. "Now I guess I had better go clean up and get home to Katie."

"Yes, I guess so, but we'll have plenty of other times together, Sam."

"Damn straight," she assured him.

She got off the bed and gathered up her clothing, retreating into his bathroom to clean up and dress. She was still feeling less than pretty in her present state, but she was relieved that it hadn't seemed to affect Jack's desire for her in the least. He was truly the most considerate, caring man that she had ever know, and she shook her head as she thought of all the time they had wasted.

She walked into the kitchen to find the man of her dreams dressed in just an old pair of sweat pants and looking very appetizing. And speaking of appetizing, he appeared to be planning a huge breakfast! On the counter were eggs, cheese, bacon and bread.

"So what are you planning to do today," she asked him, knowing it was his day off.

"I'm fixing us breakfast first, and then I thought I'd spend some time with Katie, if that's okay with you?"

He had intended to just let her go on home. But he could not accept her departure, even though he knew Katie might be needing her at any time.

"I guess I can stay a while longer," she said, also feeling the need to stay with him as long as possible. "This isn't going to work, you know," she said as she sat down at his dining room table.

Jack's head shot up, a worried expression on his face.

"What? What's not gonna work?"

His heart began to pound in his chest, so hard that he thought it would surely burst. What was she saying? Was she having second thoughts?

"I mean I can't live there and you here. I can't leave you. I don't want to leave you...ever," she said, and Jack dropped the egg he was holding and literally ran to her, arriving just in time for Sam to stand up and throw herself into his arms.

"Oh, God, honey! I thought you were saying that you didn't want this...us. I don't want you to go either," he cried out.

Suddenly, and without much thought to the consequences...which was highly unusual for her over-active mind...Sam made a decision.

"Jack, move in with me," she said.

"Eh...Sam, Ashley is there. I'm not sure that would be such a good idea. How would it look for me to be living with her and you? And Pete hasn't been gone very long, either. Aren't you afraid people might talk?"

"Since when do you care about what people think of you, Jack," she asked, confusion and irritation evident in her voice.

"I don't give a rat's ass what people think about me, Sam! You should know that by now. But I do care what they think about YOU!"

"Well, I don't! You're more important to me than my reputation."

"You say that now, Sam, but I know you don't mean it."

Sam was silent for a minute while Jack held her close, his hands holding her in a firm yet tender embrace. He could almost hear those wheels spinning inside her brain. Sam always had a tendency to think too long and too hard on any problem, and this was no different. He could see that he would have to make this an order, or she would go on worrying over it.

"Sam, we will live together once Ashley can get out on her own again. For now we will see each other as often as we can. But I won't move in with you...not yet," he said with finality.

He let her go and she sunk down onto the chair once more, resigned to follow his orders, even if it wasn't what she truly wanted to do. Her mind went back to what they had done earlier. It had been good, but she couldn't wait until there was more!  
>And even though their first times together were not at all what Sam had imagined they would be, she thought they were truly wonderful. HE was truly wonderful! Jack had been the ultimate lover...slow, sensitive, and considerate. And she just knew that every time with him would be equally fulfilling.<p>

And though they would have to wait a little longer until their bodies could join as one, at least now she was certain that it would eventually happen. There were no more regulations standing in their way, and his affair with Ashley didn't seem to matter very much now. And suddenly their future looked rosy and full of promise.

TBC


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-three

When Daniel had first heard that Ashley was back to work at his apartment again, he had decided to go see how she was doing. After all, he reasoned, Jack was really not the kind of person who a young woman could turn to with her problems, and Sam was...well, for want of as better term...the other woman. So Daniel told himself that maybe Ashley could use a friend, and he was more than willing to be that friend.

But after more than two months had passed, Daniel found himself going to his apartment more and more, always using the excuse that he needed to pick up something or other and take it down to his lab at the SGC. And sometimes he would bring take out food, and they'd sit out on the balcony, over-looking the city below, and eat and chat about one thing or another.

And while Daniel hoped that Ashley didn't see through his little pretense, she did. She had always been able to tell when a guy was interested in her, and she was never so sure as she was with Daniel! And while the idea of having a great archaeologist, who just happened to be one handsome man, infatuated with her, she also worried about how this would affect her future plans.

She really couldn't imagine herself living here in Colorado Springs after the baby came. She fully intended to go back to Georgia, or at least a long, long way, away from Jack and from their child! She didn't think she could live close by and not be a part of their lives on a daily basis. It would just be too damned hard! And although she had hoped that being away from him most of the time would break the spell Jack had over her, she still found herself dreaming about him on almost a nightly basis.

However, she hadn't seen him in weeks, since she'd apologized to him on the phone, and she missed him something awful! Recently she had noticed that he was angry at her in her dreams, and was usually scolding her in a way that reminded her of her father. So maybe what she really felt for Jack was mixed up with her need for a good relationship with her dad. Did she really see Jack as a father image? Or was she in love with him?

Ashley was drawn out of her reverie by a key turning in the lock. She expected it to be Daniel, but she got a shock when she who it really was. She looked up from the desk where she was sitting, the laptop computer that Daniel had provided her with, sitting in front of her.

"Hey, Ash, what ya doin," Jack asked her in his usual, boyish manner, and Ashley felt her stomach do a little flip flop.

"Hey, yourself, General. Long time no see," she stated, reminding him that he hadn't even spoken to her in several weeks.

He had been very angry with her for lying to him about her age, but when she phoned him and explained, he had forgiven her. And now he just felt sorry that she had to lie to him or to anyone. He also had missed her, more than he wanted to think about, considering how well his relationship with Sam was going.

"Ya, I know. I'm sorry about that. I've been busy. Had to go to D.C. for a while," he told her, and she nodded.

Damn he looked good, she thought as she watched him walk toward her. She knew about his trip, because Sam had told her. Sam had also told her that he had been offered a new assignment...one that he had turned down, because he would have had to move to the capital. Sam had mixed feelings about it, she said, but Jack had insisted there was no way he was leaving her and Katie. And he still intended his assignment at the SGC to be his last.

"Yes, I heard. So what brings you here, Jack," she asked him, hoping he'd say something about missing her...or at least something of a personal nature.

"The truth is I've missed you," he admitted, and now her heart was doing a dance inside her chest.

'No,' she told herself, 'don't let him off this easy. Make him regret how he's been treating you.'

"Yeah, right. If I had a dollar for all the guys who've tried to use that line on me, I'd be a wealthy woman, Jack," she stated sarcastically.

"I have! Honest! Come on, let me take you out to lunch," he said enthusiastically.

It was the truth; Jack had missed her...much more than he should. Somehow this young woman...a girl really...had become very important to him. And damn him, he was beginning to think it wasn't just because of the baby growing inside her.

Jack walked up behind her chair and pulled it out away from the desk, and Ashley stood up. When she turned around, Jack noticed that she was beginning to show, her knitted top stretching over her growing waistline.

When he looked down at her, he instinctively laid a big hand over her belly, needing to connect with his child. With one hand on her lower back he pulled her closer, as he slid his hand up and down over their unborn child in a soothing, possessive caress. This was something he had loved doing to Sara when she was carrying Charlie, and the memory made him happy and sad at the same time.

"My God, I had forgotten how terrific it is to feel my child growing inside a woman's body," he told her as he pulled her even closer.

As his protective feelings for her began to rekindle a spark in him that had never died, Jack quickly forgot his vow not to let something like this happen between them again.

Now his chin was resting on the top of her head. He bent down and nuzzled her hair, breathing in the scent of her shampoo. Her hair, which had grown several inches since he'd first met her, was pulled back into a pony tail that hung down past her shoulders. Without thinking he removed his hand from between them and reached up to unfasten her hair, allowing it to cascade down her back in shining plaits of gold.

Ashley tipped her head back and looked up at him with misty, blue eyes. When she was barefooted, as she was now, the top of her head barely reached his shoulders. Jack leaned over and kissed her on the mouth, his tongue reaching out and slipping wetly over her full, pink lips.

Ashley moaned. She was beginning to feel out of control, just like she had every time they'd been together, and she knew that Jack was feeling the same way. Would he be able to put his love for Sam aside for just a little while? Would his attraction to her be more than he could control? She wished desperately that it would be, because she really needed to feel him inside her once again. A big part of her couldn't imagine never knowing him that way again!

For weeks she had been really horny, and masturbation had been her only recourse. And Jack's face was the only one she imagined as she brought herself a short-lived respite. And now here he was, and it was clear that he wanted her. And Ashley wasn't about to let him go until he gave her what she needed!

"Take me to bed, Jack," she whispered against his chest, as she felt his hands sliding over her body, one cupping her ass while the other pulled her tank top down to expose a breast, which he kneaded roughly with his big hand.

She threw her arms around his neck and in one quick movement hoisted herself up off the floor, her legs coming around his waist as their lips met again in a longer, more passionate kiss that took their breath away. They broke apart for much-needed oxygen, and Ashley began attacking his tanned neck with her teeth and tongue, as Jack carried her to Daniel's bedroom.

Once inside, he kicked the bedroom door shut and walked to the bed, where he gently lowered her to the mattress. As Jack straightened up, he removed his shirt and shorts, taking his boxers off along with them. As she watched Jack undress, Ashley pulled off her tank top and shorts. She wore no underwear, as was often her habit since her old ones had become too snug, so now she lay there gloriously naked.

Jack gazed down at her, his eyes black with lust. With her golden hair spread out on the pillow like a halo, she looked like an angel. Ashley opened her arms and reached out to him, as though offering him sanctuary. Without a thought about anything except his need to feel her tight, hot flesh around his aching member, Jack went willingly into her arms.

He made love to her like he never had before, bringing her to climax again and again. And while she was still feeling the ripples of the contractions from her fourth orgasm, he entered her, fucking her hard and fast, his release so strong and so violent that he wondered if he'd survive it.

But he did survive, and afterward he hated himself for using Ashley once again, and for betraying Sam.

"We can't do this again," he said, and she nodded as she pulled on her clothing

"I'm sorry. Ah know we can't," she said in a small voice, her Southern accent making an appearance as it always did when she was upset.

"I can't see you alone anymore, because I can't trust myself," he said with disgust..

"I'm sorry," she said, tears stinging her eyes.

"Damn it, Ashley, stop sayin you're sorry! This is not your fault," he yelled and she cringed, her hands coming up defensively.

Jack had been sitting on the side of the bed putting on his clothes, when he yelled at her. Suddenly he heard her begin to choke on her tears, huge sobs shaking her small body. Jack spun around and reached for her, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her onto his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him as she continued to cry, her face pressed into the front of his T-shirt.

And this was how Daniel found them when he arrived at his apartment that day.

"Hey, guys, what's going on," he asked, but his facial expression said he already knew, or suspected, what was going on.

Ashley quickly extricated herself from Jack's embrace and got up, running into the adjoining bathroom. Jack stood up and stomped past Daniel, as the younger man stepped back out of his way. At first he thought Jack was simply going to leave, but then he stopped and turned.

"Daniel, I swear to God, if you say one word about this to Sam, I'll kill you and then myself," he stated before walking out of the apartment.

After a few minutes, when Ashley didn't come out of the bathroom, Daniel knocked on the door.

"Ashley, honey, it's me. Are you okay in there?"

"Yes, just go away, Daniel. I don't feel well," she told him with a sniff.

"Ashley, I know you're upset. But if you come out, we can talk. You always say how much talking to me helps, remember? Come on out. I brought you your favorite Chinese food," he said hopefully.

He heard the toilet flush and then the water running. He waited patiently by the door, and in another minute he heard the lock turn. When Ashley came out her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and she had a tissue in one hand that she was using to dab her eyes.

"I look terrible," she said, embarrassed for Daniel to see her like this.

"No you don't. Now come on. I've brought your favorite sweet and sour pork and fried rice, and there's egg rolls too," he told her, hoping the food would put her in a better mood.

"I don't feel like eating anything," she told him, but it wasn't long before she was digging in to a plate filled with food.

Daniel watched her for a few minutes, a grin forming on his handsome, boyish face.

"I'm glad you don't feel like eating very much, or there wouldn't be enough for me," he teased her, and she slapped his arm playfully.

"Don't make fun of a pregnant woman, Daniel," she said with a reluctant smile.

"Sorry. So...wanna tell me what happened between you and Jack?"

"I thought that was pretty obvious, Daniel."

"Well, not really. I mean I saw him holding you, and you were crying, but other than that..."

"Then you're not very observant. You're bed's a mess, Daniel," she said.

"Well, for all I know you took a nap."

"Yeah, right! When did you choose to ignore the evidence, Dr. Jackson?"

"I guess about the time I began to care about what happens to you, Ashley," he admitted, looking down at his plate.

"Oh," she said, but she was thinking much, much more. "You care what happens to me?"

"Yes, of course I do. And I care about Sam. She's my friend."

"And Jack's not your friend?"

"I didn't say that. But right now Jack's being a self-indulgent asshole, who isn't thinking about anyone but Jack. And I think he can take care of himself," Daniel stated.

"Maybe I'm thinking about myself too, Daniel? Did it ever occur to you that I might want Jack for myself? That even though I like Sam, I still love Jack, and I want him to stay with me and with our baby?"

Tears glistened in her angry eyes as she stared at him.

"Yes, that has occurred to me. So what are you going to do? Continue to punish him and yourself?"

"What do you mean? I'm not punishing him or me!" She shot up out of her chair and stomped her foot like a child.

"You're not? Then why didn't you tell him no? Why have sex with the man, when you know he doesn't love you?"

"Because I needed someone! Because he asked! Because I want him...even when I know he doesn't love me," she shouted, clinching her fists to her sides as her tears began to fall again.

Daniel bounded up out of his chair and pulled her into his arms, trying to soothe her as she cried.

"Shhhh! It'll be okay, Ashley. I'm sorry I upset you, but you've got to know that what you are doing is only going to hurt everyone more, and that includes you. Now come on and sit down. Finish your food."

"No. I'm not hungry anymore. I'm going to go and lie down for a while," she told him before she went into his bedroom and shut the door.

Ashley fell onto the bed and pulled a pillow to her chest, hugging it to her.

Maybe Daniel was right, she thought. Maybe she iwas/i trying to punish herself and Jack. Well, she wasn't going to do it anymore! From now on things would be like Jack had said; she was not going to be alone with the man, ever again!

She just laid there for while, until she finally heard the door open and felt the bed dip. She turned over and saw Daniel sitting behind her.

"Are you leaving now," she asked him.

He usually didn't stay long, only long enough to have lunch with her. And then he left to go back to the SGC.

"Yes, but I wanted to say good-bye and I'm sorry. I wish I could make it all better," he told her honestly.

Ashley sat up and hugged him, her arms encircling his neck. As she spoke he could feel her warm breath hitting the side of his neck, and he found he was getting aroused. He needed to leave, before he embarrassed himself.

"Ashley, I have to go now," he said, trying to pull away, but she hung on tight and looked up into his blue eyes.

"Daniel, do you think I'm pretty," she asked.

"Of course you're pretty. In fact you're one of the prettiest girls I've ever known," he admitted, wondering where this topic of conversation might be leading.

"Do you want me, Daniel?"

"Eh...yes. NO!"

The truth of the matter was that he did want her, but he wasn't sure having her under these circumstances was such a good idea...for himself or for her.

"I'm sorry, Daniel! I don't know what's wrong with me, but I'm horny all the time! When Jack and I made love today I came four times, and I still wanted more! And I'm afraid that if I don't have someone in my life right now, I won't be able to stay away from Jack. And then Sam will find out we've been having sex, and she'll leave him. And then he'll never love me, because he will hate me for driving her away," she said, her words spilling out in rapid succession.

Daniel thought his head might explode as he tried to understand her rationalization of the problem. But there was one thing that did make sense to him; he had read that pregnant women often craved sex more frequently. And since he was rapidly getting turned on, Daniel knew he had to get out of there, before this escalated into something that would be very wrong for both of them.

She had just slept with Jack, and she was carrying Jack's child! And now all he could think about was how much he wanted to rip her clothes off and fuck her until he couldn't see straight!

This was just crazy, and he was totally freaking out!

"I've got to go," he mumbled, pulling free of her arms.

"You do?"

"Yes. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow," he said as he hastily made his way to the door. And then he was gone, leaving Ashley feeling as though she'd just lost another friend.

After Daniel left Ashley found the half-full containers of Chinese food on the kitchen counter. Daniel had left in such a hurry that he hadn't even put the leftovers away in the refrigerator, which was totally unlike him. She gathered up their dirty plates and forks and rinsed them before placing them in the dishwasher.

''You can't really blame him for running away,' she thought dejectedly as she put the little, paper containers into the refrigerator.

Ashley was disappointed in herself and confused by her feelings toward Daniel. Hell, she was just plain confused about her feelings! When had she become such a wanton bitch?

There was no denying that she was attracted to Daniel. He was a good-looking man, for heavens' sake! But the really disturbing thing was that if Daniel had given in to her just now...even though Jack had made love to her less than two hours earlier...she would have had sex with him, and she would have enjoyed it!

She threw down the dish towel and swore, something she rarely did.

"Jesus, Ashley Sinclair, you are well and truly fucked up!"


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-four

The guilt that Jack was feeling was eating him up inside. He had sworn to never take advantage of Ashley ever again, but that was exactly what he had done. And now his battered soul wouldn't let him rest.

Jack had gone straight home from Daniel's apartment, calling Walter on his cell phone to tell him to clear his schedule for the day. His excuse was that he didn't feel well, which wasn't far from the truth. The truth was that he felt terrible...like there was no answer to his problems...similar to how he'd felt when his son Charlie died. Only this time he knew he was totally to blame. There would be no denying it this time; he was the worse kind of bastard imaginable.

A bottle of Jamesons sat, almost empty on the coffee table next to his bare feet. Glass in hand, Jack reclined on the sofa in his dark, silent house, slouching down so that his head was positioned on the sofa cushion behind him.

It was probably early evening by now, but he really didn't know or care what time it was. He had been sitting there since he'd arrived home from Daniel's place, and he hadn't moved much, except to pee and to retrieve a second bottle from the cabinet under the bar. This bottle would be finished soon, but there was another waiting to be opened.

He wasn't stupid. He knew that getting drunk never solved anyone's problems. He had heard it all before from the base shrink many years ago, when he'd lost his son. Tonight he hoped the alcohol would at least help to dull the memories of all the stupid, selfish things he had done that would eventually turn Sam against him...make her see him for who and what he really was...make her hate him as much as he hated himself.

After phoning Jack for the third time that evening and getting no answer at his house or on his cell phone, Sam rushed over to his house and found him passed out on the sofa. Unable to bring him around and scared out of her mind, she dialed 911.

An hour later, as she sat outside the emergency room at the local hospital, Daniel arrived.

"Sam! Is he gonna be okay? What happened?"

Daniel took her trembling hand in his and sat down next to her, staring into her tear-filled eyes. He could tell she was fighting to keep her emotions under control.

"He was passed out on his sofa. He'd been drinking, Daniel. I'm not sure how much. The doctor says he was lucky. He'll be okay. But Daniel I don't understand why this happened! I thought he was happy," she almost shouted, her composure crumpling now that she had Daniel there to lean on.

Daniel put an arm around her shoulders and held her while she hung her head and cried. After a couple of minutes she straightened up and sat back in the chair, wiping her eyes and nose on a wadded up tissue. Daniel pulled out a clean white handkerchief and handed it to her.

"Thanks. I must look a mess," she said, and Daniel shook his head.

"No, Sam. You look fine," he assured her.

"Yeah, right. Always the gentleman," she said, touching his cheek lightly with the tips of her fingers. "I'm going to the rest room and freshin up before I see him. Someone's supposed to come out and tell me when I can go in there. If they come while I'm gone, tell them I'll be right back," she said, and he nodded and watched as she walked down the hallway.

Daniel sat staring at the closed doors, wondering how on earth he could help his friends. He couldn't imagine why Jack had slept with Ashley again...now...after he and Sam were together, but he'd be damned if he was ready to put all the blame on Jack's shoulders! Ashley had played a big part in this, but somehow Daniel was also reluctant to blame her. She was so young, and she had no one. To her, Jack must seem like a father and lover all rolled into one, and he was certain she loved Jack. Or at least she thought she did.

So who was too blame for the mess that Jack was in? Was it Sam for marrying Pete and giving Jack a reason to seek solace in another woman's arms? That seemed way too harsh a judgment to make on Sam, when she was only doing what she thought she must in order to finally have some sort of normal life.

Was it the fault of their unusual occupation...a job that was so top-secret, that even their next of kin couldn't be told the truth of where and how they died, if they were killed while on some off-world mission or by some alien disease?

Maybe the thing to do wasn't to try and place blame, but to try and make sure no one else got hurt. And if Daniel believed one thing, it was that some things needed never to see the light of day. Somehow he needed to persuade Jack not to confess to Sam that he had slept with Ashley. Daniel feared that if he did tell her, there was no way she would forgive him. Sam loved Jack a lot, and she was a very forgiving person, but Daniel thought this would surely be the straw that broke the camel's back.

And then there was Ashley. Would she be willing to keep quiet? He didn't have time to wonder about her for long, as a nurse stepped out and asked him if he was there for General O'Neill. He said he was and quickly stood up. Now was his chance to speak to Jack...before Jack spilled his guts to Sam.

The next morning Ashley had been trying to find the nerve to phone Daniel and apologize for her behavior, when the telephone rang at his apartment.

"Dr. Jackson's residence," she stated formally.

"So when did I hire such a stuffy-sounding answering service," he joked, trying to start off in a light mood. He figured she knew about Jack, and she must be upset about what had happened. But her next words made him think otherwise.

"Oh, Daniel, I'm so glad it's you! I was just going to call and tell you how very sorry I am about how I acted yesterday."

"You've nothing to apologize for, Ashley. I understand," he told her.

"Well, I don't! I acted like a bitch in heat, and I'm never like that! I think something must be wrong with me, Daniel," she confided seriously.

"Ashley, many times pregnancy makes women more libidinous than usual. So don't worry about it. You'll feel more like your old self after the baby's born," he assured her.

"But, Daniel, what do I do until then? I'm so lonely I'm beginning to talk to your mummies!"

Daniel laughed in spite of how worried he was.

"How about if I come over? We can go out to eat for a change, and maybe see a movie? Maybe taking your mind off of your problems will help," he suggested.

He also wanted to talk to her about Jack. She apparently didn't know what had happened to Jack, or she surely would have said something.

He had spoken to Jack for only a couple of minutes before Sam came into the room, but he'd had time to plead with him not to tell her about his recent indiscretion. However, Jack hadn't told him what his intentions were.

And now Daniel had to wonder why Sam hadn't asked Ashley to care for Katie while she went back to the hospital that morning. Had Sam simply let Jack take himself home? That didn't seem at all likely, and now Daniel was really worried about his two friends.

"I would love to, Daniel, but none of my clothes fit, and I can't afford to waste money on anything nice."

"I'm coming over there right now, Ashley, and we're going out. So put on whatever fits," he warned her, and then he hung up.

Daniel knew that one thing that would cheer up any woman was a shopping trip and lunch at a nice restaurant, and that was precisely what he intended for Ashley. But first he had to phone Sam and find out what the hell was happening with Jack! She picked up on the second ring, and he thought she sounded groggy.

"Sam! Where's Jack? Is he still in the hospital? I need to speak to him."

"No, he was released about an hour ago. Here he is, Daniel," she said, handing the phone to Jack, who was laying behind her in her bed.

"Ya, Daniel. What do you want," he asked, sounding very tired and not too pleased to be talking to him.

But Daniel was used to the man's rudeness, so he didn't let it bother him or sway him from asking the question that was foremost on his mind.

"Jack, you aren't going to tell her, are you?"

"No, Daniel. No matter how it looked, I am not suicidal," he said, handing the phone back to Sam.

Sam gave him a peculiar look and then spoke to Daniel, telling him that they were going to take a nap while Katie was asleep. So they said their good-byes and Daniel hung up, breathing a huge sigh of relief. Then he hurried to his base quarters and changed into tan slacks and a blue pullover sweater before heading up to the surface parking lot and his car.

"I just don't feel right about it," Ashley had said to Daniel's offer to buy her some new clothes.

They were sitting in Daniel's car in the parking lot of the biggest shopping mall in Colorado Springs, and she was still being stubborn.

"Consider this part of your pay," he said, and she harumphed.

"You aren't even paying me, Daniel! Jack is!"

"Well, that is going to stop. I am going to be paying you from now on," he informed her. "And I insist my assistant dress properly. What if I wanted to bring someone...say a colleague...by to see one the pieces in my collection? I can't have you running around in shorts and a tank top...without underwear, I might add...now can I?"

"No, I guess not. But only if you promise to let me pick out the clothes. And I won't wear anything frumpy or frilly!"

"Okay, fine, no frumpy or frilly clothes it is! Now let's go and find you some threads, girl," he yelled, pulling her out of the car as she giggled.

Ninety minutes later they were just coming out of Victoria's Secret when they both heard her stomach growl.

"Was that the baby? If so, then I think you're having a tiger, instead of a baby," Daniel teased.

"Very funny! I guess I forgot to eat breakfast," she admitted, and he gave her a stern look of disapproval.

"Ashley, what am I going to do with you," he asked as they strolled through the atrium between the stores. It was cool in here and shady and there were benches to sit on.

"I don't know, Dr. Jackson. Got anything in mind?"

She winked at him and smiled, and Daniel felt a slight flutter in his lower anatomy.

"Maybe I have. But right now I'm going to take these to the car, and then we'll get some lunch. You sit down and wait right here for me. I'll be right back!"

"Yes, sir," she said, which reminded her of how she had sometimes had called Jack 'sir.' Daniel didn't notice the sad look that crept over her face, as he was already on his way to the parking lot.

After a big lunch at TGI Friday's, they left the mall and drove toward Sam's house. Daniel decided that now was the time to talk to her. He prayed she would be as mature about this whole situation as he hoped she would be.

"Ashley, I want to suggest something, and I hope you won't take it the wrong way. I think you should move into my apartment and live there until the baby's born," he said, and she looked puzzled.

"Why?"

"Why not? I mean, come on, do you really enjoy living with Sam, when you know Jack would like to be there with her? In fact, if you move out, I'm pretty sure that Jack and Sam will move in together. Don't you think that would be a good idea for everyone concerned?"

"You may have a point. Sam went over to Jack's house last evening, and she didn't come home until right before I got up. So I guess they are finding it difficult to have some privacy," she told him, remembering how Sam had even pumped breast milk yesterday afternoon, so that Ashley could feed Katie while she was gone to Jack's house.

Daniel nodded. Sam had told him that she didn't tell Ashley how long she might be, just to stay there with Katie. Sam just hadn't planned on spending the night at the hospital, instead of Jack's house, and obviously Sam hadn't told Ashley the entire truth.

"But what about Katie? Sam needs me to care for her when she goes back to work."

"Ashley, I'm sure she can find a baby sitter. And wouldn't you really rather go back to school full time?"

"Yes, but how can I? I can't possibly have enough money saved up in time to register. I was barely able to pay for the two classes and the books for this semester. And even though he offered, there's no way I'd take that much money from Jack. It would seem like he's buying my baby, and that seems so wrong," she said vehemently.

"Would you take a loan from me? We could make it all legal if you wanted, and then you could pay me back after you graduate."

"I guess that would be okay, if you're sure?"

"I'm sure! Now what say we go back to my place instead. And I'll go over to Sam's house later and get the rest of your things," he offered. She was puzzled at why he seemed to want to keep her away from Sam's house, but she complied.

When they got to his apartment, Ashley could contain her curiosity no longer.

"Why do I get the feeling you're pushing me into this decision? Has something happened?"

"Well, let's just say that Jack and Sam really need time together right now," he told her.

"Was that why she acted so funny this morning when she told me he was there? I mean Jack's been there before, but always in the afternoon or evening, and never closed up in her room. He didn't even say 'hello', but I figured that was because he didn't want to see me after what happened between us yesterday."

Daniel sighed. He had to speak to her and find out what her intentions were regarding what had happened. And he knew he'd have to tell her what had happened to Jack sooner or later. He guessed now was as good a time as any.

"Ya, Ashley, about that. Jack went on a major guilt trip last night. In fact he drank so much that he passed out. Sam found him and called the paramedics. He was in the hospital all night."

"Oh, my God! Poor Jack! I knew he felt terrible about what happened, but I had no idea he would do something like that. He blames himself for everything that's happened, Daniel, but it's really all my fault," she cried. "I'm so sorry! I should go over there and tell both of them!"

He caught her as she moved toward the door, wrapping a strong arm about her middle.

"No! That's the last thing you should do! In fact, I need to ask you something. Will you promise me that you will never tell Sam what happened between you and Jack yesterday?"

"Daniel, I'll do anything I can to make sure Jack and Sam are happy. I promise," she said through her tears.

Daniel drew her to his chest and hugged her.

"Good. Now dry your eyes and get that catalog out. You need to start picking out your classes for the spring semester," he said and she smiled at him, even though she felt pretty awful.

Poor Jack was going through hell because of her and her stupid urges.

"Okay. I just wish my stupid body would behave," she told him with an embarrassed grin.

She suddenly realized she was enjoying being held by him...maybe a little too much.

"You're perfectly normal, Ashley. Many pregnant women need sex more often. It's a hormonal thing," he informed her, as he realized that his body was reacting to the closeness of hers.

"It is?"

Her green eyes opened wide as she stared up at him. He could feel her breath on his face as she spoke. Her breath was sweet, and the closeness of her body and the heat from it was making him grow harder by the second.

"Yes, it is...p..p..perfectly natural."

"But what am I supposed to do about it," she asked him, and he gulped, hoping she wouldn't notice his prominent hard-on.

"I'm not sure, but I think I'm gonna go now and let you get some rest. I'll be back later with your things," he told her, as he stumbled to the door.

"But Daniel..."

"I'll see you later," he said and then he was gone.

Well, Ashley could hardly blame the man for bolting; she had almost begged him to make love to her! What in the hell was wrong with her? If this was what being pregnant was like, then she never wanted to be pregnant ever again!

With a sigh she went and sat down in the butterscotch leather, Danish modern chair and propped her feet up on the matching ottoman, the course catalog in her lap.

Outside Daniel's apartment building, sitting in a dark maroon sedan, a man watched as Daniel got into his Jeep Cherokee and drove away. He wondered how long the guy would be gone this time. Should he go on up now and visit his old friend Ashley? Or should he wait till after dark? Tossing his cigarette out of the car window he started the engine and quickly drove out of the parking lot, following along behind the silver Jeep. Just to be on the safe side, Mike decided he'd come back later, after he checked to see where Ashley's new lover was going.

Daniel, who had been having a similar problem as Ashley, drove around for a while wondering if it was a good time to go to Sam's house. After driving around aimlessly for a few minutes, he decided to park the car and phone Sam. He didn't notice the older, dark-colored car pulling into a parking place a half block behind him.

"Sam, it's me. Would it be okay if I came over there and got Ashley's things?"

"What? Why, Daniel?"

"I've asked her to move into my place. It just makes better sense to have her right there, while she's working for me. Then you and Jack will have your privacy. And I know she was going to baby sit for you, but I'm certain you can find someone trustworthy through the base's job pool."

"I'm sure you're right, Daniel. Thanks! Come on over any time. We'll be here."

"Okay! See you in a few minutes!"

And so Daniel headed over to Sam's house, on what was going to turn out to be a very bad day for all of them.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-five

Daniel hadn't known what to expect when he got to Sam's house, but what he found greatly relieved his mind. Sam answered the door, an apron tied around her waist.

"Come on in, Daniel. I'm baking a cake. Why don't you go and sit with Jack. He's in the family room with Katie."

"How's he doing," Daniel whispered.

"Better I think, although I still don't know what got into him," she said, and Daniel looked away, feeling guilty that he couldn't tell her.

"Jack's always been a hard man to figure out," he said vaguely. "I'll just go and speak to him for a minute, and then I'll get Ashley's things."

Sam went back to what she was doing, and Daniel joined Jack, sitting down across from him. Jack rocked back and forth in the wooden rocker, humming in a deep voice to the baby laying along one arm.

"Hey, Daniel," he said quietly.

"Hi, Jack. How's it going?"

"Oh, we're doing just fine, aren't we Katie?"

The baby's tiny rosebud mouth moved as though she was nursing at Sam's breast, and Jack smiled down at her.

"She likes to dream about mama's tits, don't you, kiddo? She and I have a lot in common."

"Hmmm. Yes, well... Jack, I need to talk to you about something serious."

"You mean you didn't come to see Katie?"

"Not exactly, although it is nice to see her, and you're certainly looking more calm than the last time I saw you," he said cautiously.

Daniel hesitated, afraid of upsetting Jack with his news. But he knew he had no choice, so he forged ahead.

"I've convinced Ashley to move back to my apartment, Jack. I've come to get her things," he said.

"Good. That's good, Daniel."

Jack's reaction was very calm and rational, so Daniel breathed a sigh of relief, deciding to tell Jack the rest of his news.

"And I'm going to start paying her wages, Jack."

"Why, Daniel?"

"Because she's working for me, Jack. And because she doesn't want to feel obligated to you for anything"

Daniel could see that Jack was a little disturbed by his last sentence, but his voice remained calm. Perhaps the baby was just what Jack needed to remain in control, Daniel thought, watching as Jack reached out a finger and delicately traced over Katie's soft cheek. Her little mouth pursed again as she began to suck at the phantom breast, and Jack smiled.

"That's nonsense, Daniel. Anything I do for Ashley, I do for the baby. She's the baby's mother. She'll always be his or her mother," he stated.

"She knows that, but she just doesn't feel right about taking your money, Jack."

"Okay," Jack relented readily.

Daniel's mouth fell open in shock. He couldn't remember a time when Jack had given in so easily about anything! The man was nothing if not hard-headed, and usually only his CO or an act of God could change his mind.

"Okay then. I'm gonna just go and get her clothes and stuff. See you later, Jack."

"Sure. Later, Daniel."

As Daniel walked down the hallway, he could hear Jack humming again. Well, so far so good, he thought, feeling much more positive about the outcome of the situation. Maybe things would finally get easier for his two friends after Ashley's baby was born.

Daniel began putting clothing and toiletries into the suitcases he found in the back of the closet. A few minutes later Sam came in to see if he needed any help.

"Hey, Daniel. Have you got everything? Do you need any help? I just put the cake in the oven, so I've got some time now."

"Oh, no! I've just about got everything, Sam. But thanks! Jack sure seems in a better frame of mind now, doesn't he?"

"Yes, I guess so. I just don't understand what happened, Daniel, and he refuses to talk about it. So I guess I'll have to let it go," she concluded, leaning against the door.

Daniel breathed a sigh of relief. He hated keeping anything from Sam. She was like a sister to him, and he valued her friendship a great deal. And he thought he knew her fairly well...well enough to feel certain that Jack's recent intimacies with Ashley would hurt Sam tremendously.

"You look good, Sam. How are you feeling?"

"Terrific! Ready to get back to work actually! Which reminds me...now that you've stolen my baby-sitter away, I have to begin interviewing this week. I go back in just five days, you know."

"Golly, is it that soon?"

Daniel zipped up the second bag and sat it on the floor.

"Yes! Actually I'm more than ready to go back. Even though...and I feel kind of funny admitting this...I'm going to hate being away from Katie for hours. I never thought I'd get so attached to a baby! But I guess when they're your own..."

"Yes, I hear that does made a difference," he told her with a smile, giving his eyeglasses one good shove up his nose. Then he picked up one suitcase in each hand and started out the door.

"You'll let us know if Ashley needs anything, won't you, Daniel?"

Daniel stopped in the hallway and turned to her.

"Sam, you never fail to amaze me. How you can care what happens to someone who..."

He didn't hear Jack come up behind him, until the man interrupted what he was saying.

"Ashley didn't do anything to Sam, Daniel. I did. So don't be so critical of her," he complained.

"Sorry. It's just that..."

"I mean it, Daniel. Don't speak another harsh word about the mother of my child, or you will not be welcome in my house...here...again," Jack said as he turned away and headed into the kitchen.

Jack had not been carrying Katie, so Sam quickly went in search of her daughter, leaving poor Daniel standing in the hallway. She found her daughter sleeping peacefully in the playpen in the family room. Sam breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't that she thought Jack would harm the baby or mistreat her in any way. It was just that he seemed different somehow...distracted and distant.

"Is she okay," Daniel asked her.

"Yes! Yes, she's fine, Daniel."

"Okay. I'm just gonna go now before I say anything else to make Jack angry."

"Daniel, I'm sorry he's so..."

"No, you don't have to apologize for him, Sam. Bye. I'll call you soon," he said, and Sam opened the front door and let him out, waving at his departing back.

Sam went into the kitchen to check on the cake, and to see if Jack needed anything. She also just wanted to keep an eye on him. His recent odd behavior had her very worried.

"Jack?"

He was standing at the back door, his hand on the doorknob.

"Jack, are you going someplace?"

"I'm going for a little walk," he told her, pulling on his jacket.

"Jack, wait a minute."

"I'll be back in a little while, Sam. You don't have to worry; I won't do anything stupid. I just need some fresh air," he said, and then he walked out, shutting the door behind him.

Jack was gone for almost two hours. After the first thirty minutes passed, Sam began to worry a little. After an hour had passed, she phoned Daniel, who was almost back to the base. He pulled his car off the road, thinking that he might have to drive to Sam's to calm her down. She was in a state of panic the likes of which Daniel had never heard in her before.

"Calm down, Sam. I'm sure he's fine. He probably just stopped to..." He was going to say 'have a drink', but then he thought of what that might mean. He didn't want Sam to worry even more, but it was too late; she had gotten his unintended hint.

"Daniel, do you think he could be at a bar?"

"Well, I guess he could be, but don't jump to conclusions," he warned her.

"You mean like you just did? Daniel, you've got to go out and find him," she begged.

"Okay, but where do I start looking?"

"Try O'Malley's and the bars on Main Street, particularly that Irish pub he likes. What's it called?"

"O'Flaherty's. Okay, I'll do that. I'll call you if I find him," he said and then he hung up.

Fifty minutes later Jack walked in the front door of Sam's house. She heard the front door open and close, and then she heard the door of the guest bathroom closing. She went to it and spoke to him through the door, when she found it was locked.

"Jack! Jack, are you all right?"

At first all she could hear was water running. When it stopped, she called out to him again.

"Jack!"

He didn't answer, but he did open the door. Sam just stood there while he came out and walked past her and into the kitchen. She followed him, watching as he took a beer out of the refrigerator. He twisted off the cap and downed several ounces, while Sam stood there watching him, her fists clinched at her sides.

He lowered the bottle and looked down at the cake, which sat unfrosted on the kitchen counter.

"Jack, where have you been? I've been worried sick about you," she said, the anger and frustration obvious in her voice.

"You don't need to worry about me, Sam. I'm not gonna go off the deep end, if that's what you're thinking."

"Quite frankly I don't know what to think! You just walk out of here and disappear for two hours, and you expect me not to worry about you!"

"I told you I was going for a walk," he said, walking past her and into the family room.

Sam let him go, her eyes tearing up. She couldn't explain it, but she was very worried about him. He had never been very open about his feelings, but now he seemed to be closing himself off to her entirely. And if he wouldn't talk about how he was feeling, how could she help him?

Well, he seemed to want to be left alone. So although she hated this wall that he was building between them, she decided to give him the privacy he wanted. She would go frost the cake, and maybe later he would be willing to talk to her.

Sam poured all of her love for him into the preparation of his dinner that night, fixing him one of his favorite dishes. While the Irish stew was simmering on the stove, she sat in the rocking chair in Katie's room and nursed her, humming a song that her mother had sung to her when she was a child.

She could just barely hear the sound of the television coming from the family room, and she could tell that Jack was watching a hockey game or the sports news. Katie had just fallen asleep, and Sam was about to put the baby down in her crib, when the telephone rang. Sam heard it, but since there was no phone in Katie's room, she couldn't answer it.

When Sam stepped out into the hallway, she could no longer hear the sound from the television. As she got closer to the family room she heard Jack talking to whoever it was, and immediately she sensed that something was very wrong.

"I'm coming over there," he said to whoever was calling. "I don't care how it looks! I have to see her, Daniel," he shouted into the phone right before he hung up.

"What's wrong?"

Jack turned around and faced her, and the look on his face sent shivers down her spine. She had never seen an expression quite like this on his face before, and it scared her.

"That was Daniel. He's at his apartment. I have to go over there."

He walked quickly to her bedroom and got his keys. Then he remembered his truck was not there, and he'd have to take Sam's car. He went back to the bedroom and began searching for her keys, while Sam hung out in the doorway, wondering what on earth was going on. He seemed to be in a panic, and she couldn't imagine why.

"Jack! Jack talk to me! Why do you need to go?"

"Sam, I've gotta have your car keys! Where are they?"

She watched as he tore through the closet, checking all her purses, but coming up empty-handed. He was growing more and more upset, until Sam couldn't stand it any longer. She rushed at him and grabbed his biceps, pulling hard on him to make him stop.

"Jack! What is it? What's wrong?"

"She's dead. I've got to go, Sam," he said, his face frozen in a look of despair.

"Oh, my God! How? What happened?"

"I don't know! I just have to go to her!"

"Okay, but let me go with you," she suggested, but then she remembered the baby sleeping in the next room and knew she couldn't go. So reluctantly she went and got her car keys from the dresser drawer where she sometimes kept them.

"Here, Jack. But promise me you'll phone me, just as soon as you know anything more," she insisted, extremely worried about his state of mind. He wasn't acting very rationally, but wasn't that to be expected under the circumstances?

"Yes," was all he said as he grabbed the keys from her outstretched hand and bolted for the back door. By the time she got to the door, she saw her car backing out of the garage.

He wasn't gone a minute before Sam dialed Daniel's cell phone. He answered on the first ring.

"Daniel! It me. Jack told me about Ashley. He's on his way to your place."

"He is? Shit! I told him not to come over here," he stated vehemently.

"Why not, Daniel? What happened to her?"

"Sam, at first glance it appears she committed suicide, but there's evidence that's not what really happened," he informed Sam reluctantly.

"Oh, my God!"

"Sam, after I checked the bars I came here looking for Jack. That's when I found her. I'm going to have to tell the police what I know, if the subject of their affair or his whereabouts comes up," he told her quietly.

"I know, Daniel, and I understand. Just do what you can for him," she begged.

Sam thought back to the last couple of days and how oddly Jack had been behaving. What could she say if he needed an alibi for late that afternoon, when she had no idea where he'd been or why? Even though she didn't believe Jack would have hurt Ashley deliberately, could her death have been some sort of freak accident? Why was she even thinking things like that? Didn't she trust him anymore?

"Of course I will. I just wish he had listened to me and stayed away. I have to go now; the Police Detective wants to talk to me," he said ominously, and then he hung up without even saying good-bye.

Sam just stood there feeling like she was living in a nightmare. The problem was that this was one bad dream from which she wouldn't wake up. Worried and frustrated, she sat down and stared at the television screen, the hockey game that Jack had been watching continued as though nothing had changed. But Sam had a feeling that everything had changed, and not for the better.

Remembering the stew she had simmering on the stove, she went into the kitchen and turned off the flame. There would be no nice dinner for Jack tonight.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-six

The following twelve hours went by as though she was watching someone else's life and not hers. She couldn't believe all that had happened was real! But more than that...she didn't want to believe it was real. Ashley was dead, as was Jack's unborn child!

*~*~*~*  
>Sam had spoken to Daniel very quickly right after the police had arrived at his apartment, and then she didn't hear from him again until almost two hours later. Daniel had called her from the police station.<p>

"Sam, it's me. Sam, I'm with Jack at the police station."

"How is he, Daniel?"

"I'm not sure. He's kinda quiet now, but you know how Jack can be. Opinionated. Stubborn when he's sure he's right. Well, he gave a pretty good demonstration of those qualities earlier, when he unloaded on the officer in charge. Jack told the detective everything about him and Ashley and about Mike, Ashley's ex-employer. Jack insists Mike did it, but of course the police aren't about to take his word for it."

"Shit, Daniel, I wish I could come down there! Why don't I see if Janet can come and take care of Katie?"

"No! I don't think you should become involved, Sam."

"I already am involved, Daniel!"

"That's not the kind of involvement I mean, Sam. Just stay at home, and I'll phone you when I know anything more. Please, Sam!"

"Okay, but call me in the next hour! If you don't, I swear I'm coming down there!"

"All right. I promise. Oh, and Sam, I was correct; they say it looks like someone drowned Ashley before they...before they tried to make it look like a suicide."

"Oh, my God, Daniel! That poor girl," she cried as she collapsed onto the sofa.

"They're calling Jack in for questioning right now, so we should know something soon...I hope. I'll call you," he had said, and then he hung up.  
>*~*~*~*<p>

By seven o'clock the next morning the police finally allowed Jack to go home, calling him 'an investigative lead', but Jack knew they suspected him. He let Daniel drive him back to the apartment house, where Jack got into Sam's car.

"Jack, don't do anything stupid," Daniel warned the man as he stood next to Sam's old Volvo, holding onto the door handle, as though that might stop his friend from making a foolish mistake.

"Like what?" Jack looked like he was about to blow a gasket, but by now Daniel wasn't afraid OF him so much as he was afraid FOR him.

"Like trying to find the person who did it. That wouldn't be smart, Jack. So just go back to Sam's and don't do anything. Promise me, Jack!"

Daniel knew that Jack suspected the guy Ashley used to work for, and he knew it was just like Jack to go after the guy and make him pay. In a way he couldn't blame Jack for wanting revenge. After all, whoever did this hadn't just killed Ashley, they had killed Jack's unborn child.

"I'll go to Sam's, but I can't promise you anything. The bastard deserves to suffer," Jack said, tears glistening in his steely eyes.

"The police will find whoever did this, Jack. Now go home," Daniel said firmly, and then he watched as Jack drove away.

Daniel's first instinct was to follow Jack, just to make sure he really went back to Sam's house. So he did exactly that, keeping his distance, even though he figured Jack knew he was there anyway. When he saw Jack pull into the driveway of Sam's house and climb out of the car, he breathed a sigh of relief and left. Then he went back to the scene of the crime...a place he never wanted to set foot in again, let alone live in.

But for now he needed to go back there. He needed to find out how soon he could remove his belongings. Somewhere between finding Ashley's body and midnight last night Daniel had decided he never really needed the apartment anyway. So as soon as he was allowed to, he'd be moving his things into a storage facility. For now he just wanted to make sure that nothing valuable was missing, or damaged in the process of collecting evidence.

Sam was sitting at the breakfast table when she heard the car on the driveway. She ran to the back door and watched through the multi-paned French door as Jack stopped the car just in front of the detached garage and got out. Then she opened the door and stood there, waiting to take Jack into her arms. He came willingly, hugging her till she thought she wouldn't be able to draw another breath. Then he suddenly let her go, and she backed away, allowing him to come inside.

"Jack, I'm so sorry," she said, reaching out to touch the back of one shoulder.

He didn't answer her, but instead walked through the kitchen and down the hallway into Katie's room, stripping off his jacket as he went. He dropped it on the hallway floor before entering the child's room.

Katie was sleeping peacefully in her crib, and Jack just stood there looking down at her. Sam came up and stood behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist, her face against his back. She couldn't help it; tears began to spill from her eyes as she thought about all that Jack had lost and about the poor girl who would never fulfill any of her dreams.

"It was a boy," he said, and it took a second for her to realize what he had meant.

"Ashley's baby was a boy? How do you know," she asked quietly, her voice muffled as she pressed her face into his shirt.

"Ultra sound. I found it at the apartment. Apparently she had just gotten it in the mail yesterday. I'm sure she would have told me, if..."

"You can't be sure about the sex of the child, Jack. Sometimes those photos are misleading," she said, realizing what this loss could mean to him. 'If Jack has lost another son, then the loss might be more than he can bear,' she warned her fearful heart.

"There was a note from her doctor. Said it was a boy," he informed her as he turned around to face her. Even in the dim light Sam could see the tears running down his face. She reached up and tried to wipe them away with one hand, but he shrugged out of her reach.

"I'm so sorry, Jack!"

"Not half as sorry as I am," was all he said before side-stepping her and walking out of the room.

Sam just stood there, her heart in her throat as she watched him walk away. When would this poor man ever find peace and happiness, she wondered as she followed him out of Katie's room.

Jack went to their bedroom and sat down on the bed, flipping open his cell phone. Sam sat down next to him, and he put his arm around her while he called General George Hammond to tell him most of the facts he figured the man needed to know.

Sam flinched when she heard what he said next.

"I'll understand if the President and the military no longer want my services."

Even though Jack wasn't being accused of any wrongdoing, he still had an affair with a woman thirty years his junior and had conceived a child with her. If these facts got out to the media, his reputation would be ruined. And more than likely an offer from the President and the Joint Chiefs to teach new SGC recruits would never come about.

After talking to Hammond, Jack tossed his cell phone onto the bedside table and pulled Sam into his arms. They laid down together, their arms around each other protectively. Almost three hours later they were awakened by the vibrations of Jack's cell phone.

Jack reached the phone before it began to ring and flipped it open. At almost the same instant, Sam heard Katie crying, so she climbed over Jack and went to get her daughter.

"O'Neill."

"Jack, I've got good news," Daniel shouted into the phone.

"What is it, Daniel?"

"They found him! They found Mike! And there's more! When I was finally allowed inside my apartment again, I noticed there were some pieces from my collection that were missing stones...diamonds, rubies and such. And guess where they found the stones! In Mike's car! He was almost at the Arizona border when they caught up with him. They think he was headed for Mexico," Daniel said in one long breath.

"That's good news, Daniel," Jack said in a monotone voice.

"Mike says he followed her home and then waited till she was alone. He says he just went there to try and apologize to her, but most likely he was angry because she had testified against him. Anyway, when he saw all the valuables in my apartment, he decided to steal some. Apparently Ashley tried to stop him. She put up a pretty good fight, Jack."

"The police think he killed her before he even knew about the baby. While he was looking for items to steal he must have seen the letter from the doctor, and that's when he decided to try make it look like a suicide. In fact, since she was living in my apartment, he probably thought the baby was mine. He wanted me...er...you to suffer thinking she had killed herself. The guy's one sick bastard, Jack."

Jack didn't say anything, so Daniel continued.

"Detective Garrity said to thank you, since it was your testimony that was instrumental in solving the case."

Jack didn't respond, and naturally Daniel was worried about him.

"Are you gonna be okay, Jack?"

"Ya, sure Daniel. We'll be just fine," he said as he watched Sam though the open bedroom door. He could see her changing Katie, and it soothed his heart to know that he still had the two of them. And if he had anything to say about it, he would never lose them!

"Okay. Well, I'll call you later, Jack. Give Sam my love."

"I will, Daniel. And thanks...thanks for being my friend," he said before snapping the phone shut.

Jack put the phone down on the night stand and got up. When he entered Katie's room through the adjoining door, he saw Sam sitting in the rocking chair, feeding the baby. He stood there in the doorway as he told her the news in a calm, quiet voice.

"Come in here," he said, motioning for her to rejoin him in the bedroom. They cuddled on the big bed, Sam's back propped against a stack of pillows, while Jack laid his head on her bare stomach, just beneath the baby's bottom. He could hear Katie making these little snuffling noises as she nursed at Sam's breast, and Sam's skin felt cool and comforting to his hot flesh.

He felt more relaxed than he'd felt in weeks, but he was almost ashamed to even think that he might be happy, when poor Ashley was dead. She would never know the joys of motherhood, or marriage or anything else, and he wanted to weep for all she had lost and for what he had lost as well.

Jack took a deep breath, drawing on his military training. Self-discipline and years of experience at hiding his emotions came into play now, as he fought back the tears that threatened to fall. Instead of giving into his feelings of anger and hopelessness, he concentrated on the woman and the child that lay here with him. They were here, they were alive, and they were his...or at least they could be his.

Jack lifted up and saw Sam watching him, and he treated her with just a hint of a smile. He realized she had been very concerned for him, and he felt guilty about that too. He was determined to correct all the harm he'd done to her in recent months.

Then he kissed the baby's bottom and nuzzled Sam's belly with his nose. He loved how Katie smelled...just like all babies do...sweet and innocent. He inhaled their combined scents, and then he kissed the patch of Sam's bare skin before he laid his head down again and sighed.

"I love you, Sam. Do you believe me?"

Sam touched his head with one hand, affectionately running her fingers through his tousled, gray hair.

"Yes, I know you do. And I love you, Jack," she answered, her voice a choked whisper.

"Enough to marry me?" he asked quietly, and then he lifted his head and stared up at her, his dark molasses eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Yes, Jack. Enough to spend the rest of my life with you," she assured him in a steady voice, and then she smiled through her tears as Jack brought his face up to hers for a tender kiss.

The end.


End file.
